


Behind the Mask: The Truth of the Demon

by RecklessWriter



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Friendship, Gen, Post-Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2, Watching the Show
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-03-20 09:16:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 23,326
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18989731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RecklessWriter/pseuds/RecklessWriter
Summary: After the death of Britannia's 99th emperor, Lelouch vi Britannia, Zero gathers a group of people together to finally learn the truth about the Demon Emperor's bloody reign -- and maybe learn a few things himself, as well.A 'Characters-watch-the-show' story :)





	1. Behind the Mask

“Are you sure about this?”

Zero stared down at the green-haired girl in front of him. As the symbol of Japan’s freedom, Zero's demeanor was cold and impersonal, but beneath the mask, Suzaku Kururugi's face was twisted with emotion. A silent war waged within his eyes.

“I am sure,” the green-haired girl replied. Her face was blank of expression—almost inhuman. “I told you. This is what Lelouch wanted.”

Suzaku barely stopped his flinch at his former friend's name. He stared down at the disk in his hand, angling it so its surface caught the light from the window. It was hard to believe that the answers to all his questions were now held in his hands. He wanted more than anything to take them for himself, to finally rid himself of all the lies, but still, something in him hesitated.

 _Is this really what you wanted, Lelouch?_ he wondered. _After everything you went through to hide the truth?_

Suzaku shook his head. “I don’t know, C2,” he said. “This just doesn’t seem like something Lelouch would want.”

To strip away lies, leaving only truth. To unmask Lelouch vi Britannia, once and for all.

But Lelouch had always believed that masks were necessary—an essential part of human nature. They were needed in order for the world to continue to move forward. So why would he ever want to strip away his own?

“This is his will,” C.C. told him. “It is your duty to carry it out.”

Suzaku's eyes narrowed. “And how do I know I can trust what you say? You’ve lied to us before. You tricked Lelouch into accepting the Geass. Just to serve your own selfish ends!”

For the first time, a flicker of emotion passed through the girl's eyes. Suzaku recognized her guilt easily; he saw it in himself everyday.

“I’m sorry," he said. "That was unfair.”

C.C. shook her head, her face sad. “It wasn’t. Know that whatever mistakes I have made, I am trying to atone for them now. Lelouch reminded me what it felt like to live. I care more for him than I can say.”

Suzaku was silent, knowing it to be the truth. The relationship between C.C. and Lelouch had always stumped him. They had clearly been closer than mere friends, but they hadn’t been lovers, either. Perhaps theirs had been a unique relationship between contractor and contract-bearer; the type of bond that he could never understand.

“Trust me, Suzaku,” she said. She reached out, closing his fingers around the disc in a tighter grip. Through the mask between them, she met his eyes. “This is the only way to move forward.”

 

* * *

 

 

“This is outrageous,” the second princess of the Britannian Empire declared. “It’s a complete farce, and I’m leaving.”

In a single room, sat about a dozen people. From the former Student Council of Ashford Academy, sat Milly Ashford, Rivalz Cardemonde, and Nina Einstein. Also at the table sat Jeremiah Gottwald, Cecile Croomy, Earl Lloyd Aspund, and Nunnally vi Britannia. They were the only ones who were sitting. The rest of the room's occupants were standing, facing each other.

Former members of the Black Knights faced the two people who had just come through the doorway—Princess Cornelia and Prince Schneizel. There was utter hatred in the Knights' eyes. Cornelia stared back at them as though they were something caught beneath her high-heeled boot.

“If it's so outrageous,” Kallen Kouzuki spoke, her mouth twisting with anger, “then why did you come?”

The Viceroy's lips twisted in an identical fashion. “I assure you, I most certainly wouldn’t have had I known I’d be in the company of a bunch of filthy Elevens—”

Kallen's eyes flared. “My name is _Kallen Kousuki,_ ” she snarled, “and I am _Japanese_ , you piece of—”

“You dare address a member of the royal family in such a disrespectful fashion—”

Schneizel placed a calming hand on his sister’s shoulder. “Now, Cornelia, let’s not overreact—”

Cornelia jerked herself away from his touch. She seemed almost as disgusted by him as she was by the Black Knights.

Kallen's focus turned from the Viceroy to the Second Prince. “And you,” she said, her eyes slits. “You have some nerve, showing your face to us. What gives you the right?”

Schneizel raised his chin. “Zero ordered me to come,” he said, which was explanation enough. Such was the power of the Geass—even after the user's death.

_You will obey Zero._

“Now, everyone,” Nunnally finally spoke. Her voice was quiet, but it was so at odds with the atmosphere in the room that everyone still turned to look at her. “All of us were invited here for a reason. Until Zero arrives to explain to us why, we should sit down and try to get along.”

She was asking for a near miracle. But with her wide, purple eyes and gentle expression, it was almost impossible to deny Nunnally vi Britannia anything. Reluctantly, the two warring parties sat.

“Brother Schneizel,” Nunnally greeted. Schneizel’s face showed brief surprise at being addressed. “How have you been? It’s been some time since we’ve seen each other.”

He bowed his head. “Apologies, my lady. I would have made a visit to you sooner, but I was unsure of whether I would be welcome.”

Beside him, Cornelia scoffed quietly. Across from him, Kallen and other members of the Knights stared between Nunnally and Schneizel with incredulous faces.

“I don’t understand!” Kallen exploded. She looked at Nunnally accusingly. “How can you speak to him so casually?! He tried to kill the _entire world_!”

Schneizel's mouth opened. Before he could speak, Cornelia's hand shot out to cover his lips.

“If you were about to say ‘not the _entire_ world',” she said to him, “then I highly advise you to reconsider, brother.”

Her hand fell away. Schneizel didn’t reopen his mouth. Nunnally turned toward the irate Kallen, preparing to answer her, when the door of the room swung open.

Zero walked into the room, his long cape flapping behind him. Several people stood up at his entrance.

“Zero, my man!” Tamaki yelled. “Where have you been? I thought we were meant to be buddies… the closest of all pals…!”

Ohgi smacked him on the back of the head. He yelped. “Ow! Ohgi, what the hell?!”

Ohgi turned to address Zero. “Forgive him, Zero. Is there a reason why all of us are here?”

“And it better be a damn good one,” Cornelia said.

“I am here,” Zero declared, his voice distorted by the mask, “for the truth. And so are all of you.”

All the faces around the table looked between each other with confusion. “The truth?” Jeremiah spoke up. “What do you mean, Zero?”

“This.” Zero held up a gloved hand. In it, he held a simple disk. “On this disk lies the answers to all of your questions, the truth behind all of the lies.”

“The truth of what?”

“The truth,” said Zero, “of Lelouch vi Britannia.”

Instant chatter broke out. Many people seemed stunned; others rose up from their chairs. The three former students from Ashford Academy turned to speak with each other, forming a sort of bubble that excluded the rest of the room. The Black Knights stared at Zero. Cornelia stood from her seat.

“This is an absolute waste of my time,” she said. “The Demon Emperor is dead. I care not for any truth you are offering.”

“And what of Euphemia?” Zero questioned. Cornelia froze on her way to the door. “Don’t you wish to finally know the truth about that?”

Cornelia visibly warred with herself. Her gaze snapped up to meet the blank mask in front of her.

“There is no _truth_ ,” she hissed, her voice shaking with grief and rage. “My brother _murdered_ her. And he used her death to make himself a messiah. That’s all there is to it.”

“But is it?” Zero questioned. He stepped forward, so he and Cornelia were standing toe-to-toe. He was shorter, but he somehow managed to still be intimidating. “Is that all there was to Lelouch, in the end? Simply the Demon?”

Cornelia did not back down. “He _was_ a demon. If you think any differently, then you are a fool.”

“How _dare_ you,” Jeremiah said slowly. He rose from his chair slightly, leaning forward on the table. “How _dare_ you speak of His Majesty in such a way! He is the savior of this world! I will not allow him to be disrespected!”

Schneizel stood from his chair. “My brother was a traitor and a murderer. He deserved no less than what he got.”

Jeremiah quaked with rage. “ _Hypocrite_!” he yelled. “You preach about mindless murder, when you yourself planned to commit genocide!”

“But I didn’t,” Schneizel said. His face didn’t change. “Which is how my brother and I differ.”

“You smug—”

“Everyone!” Nunnally called out. “Please calm down.” Calm eyes turned toward the masked man at the door. “I would like to hear what Zero has to say.”

“Thank you, Empress,” said Zero. He brandished the disk in his hand. “This disc,” he said, “is said to be a recording of Lelouch vi Britannia's life—his memories. I intend for us to watch them.”

“Memories?” Ohgi questioned, utterly bewildered. “How is that possible?”

“Do not ask me how. Even if I could understand it, I couldn’t tell you.”

“Wait,” Rivalz spoke up. Everyone turned to look at him, and he momentarily shrank away at the attention. “You mean, this will tell us all about Lelouch? About why he became the Emperor?”

The masked terrorist nodded. “It will.”

“Then I’m in!”

The Black Knights still looked uncertain, but eventually they consented to stay—as Zero had known they would. Jeremiah looked the picture of devotion, sitting straight with his shoulders back and head held high. Lloyd looked utterly fascinated—which was actually sort of worrying.

Schneizel scoffed. “This is ridiculous,” he declared. He made to move for the door. “Like my sister said, the Demon Emperor is dead. Sitting here and observing the life of a dead man serves no purpose. There is no hidden truth to find within Lelouch's actions. He was no more than a coldblooded tyrant, same as our father—”

“Schneizel,” Zero commanded, “Sit down and be quiet.”

Schneizel’s irises glowed red. _You will obey Zero._ He sat down and stayed quiet, unable to do anything else.

Zero looked out at all of them. “I won’t force any of you to stay. I just want you to hear me out. I myself haven’t watched it. I have no idea what to expect. But I’m going to watch it anyway. For the truth.”

Zero turned his face to the Ashford Academy students. “For Shirley.”

Nina and Rivalz looked down. Milly closed her eyes.

Now, to Cornelia and Schneizel: “For Euphemia. For Clovis.”

Cornelia's face tightened with pain. Even Schneizel looked somber.

To the Black Knights: “For trust. For loyalty. For closure.”

The Knights who had trusted the Demon Emperor—and had, in turn, betrayed him—drew themselves up.

 _For closure,_ Kallen thought. _For peace of mind._

Finally, Zero turned to Nunnally. “For _Lelouch_ ,” he said, and Nunnally eyes gleamed with tears.

She stared into the black mask, imagining the pained face she knew laid behind it. _Oh, Suzaku,_ she thought. _You always were the best of us._

“And for _science_!” Lloyd yelled out suddenly, completely shattering the serious atmosphere of the room.

Cecile hit him. “Lloyd! You completely ruined a beautiful speech!”

“Whoopsie. My bad, sorry!”

He laughed. Cecile groaned, letting her head thump onto the table.

“Well?” said Zero. “Are we all decided?” No one moved. He nodded. “Very well.”

Slowly, Zero walked toward the television across from the table and slipped the disc inside. Remote in hand, he raised it and pressed the button to play.

 _Now, Lelouch,_ Suzaku thought, his hands trembling as he joined Nunnally at the table. _Now I’ll finally know. Euphie… Shirley… our friendship… How much was real? How much was just an act?_

_Did you ever really care at all?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So as you can see, I didn't add all the characters in this fic, such as the Chinese Federation or a few others. That's because I have a hard time keeping track of the characters when there's too many, and if I add any more I feel like I'm going to keep forgetting about people.
> 
> I did add Schneizel though, which is something I haven't seen done in any of the other watching-the-show series I've read (mostly because I'm fascinated by his character. He's an asshole, but he's still so complex of a person).


	2. The Day a New Demon Was Born

All eyes riveted to the television screen, they watched as the scene opened to a clear blue sky.

**Two young boys are shown climbing. One of them turns to speak to the smaller, weaker one, but no words are heard.**

Next to Nunnally, Suzaku stiffened at the memory. He hadn't been prepared for it to start with this. Had C.C. _seen_ this? Had she been watching Lelouch, right from the beginning? Was it all part of Charles and Marianne's plan?

"No way!" said Rivalz, leaning forward. "Is that Lelouch and Suzaku? I didn't know they knew each other before Ashford!"

"It makes sense," Milly responded with a shrug—even though she'd already been well-aware that Lelouch and Suzaku had been childhood friends. "Lelouch was pretty quick to welcome Suzaku into the Student Council even though he was an Eleven. And Suzaku was his Knight when he was Emperor, remember."

Rivalz deflated. "Well, now it just seems really obvious…"

**Suzaku takes Lelouch's hand and pulls him up.**

**NARRATOR:** _**The year was August 10 in the year 2010 of the Imperial Calendar. The Holy Britannian Empire had just declared war upon Japan. The far-east island nation had held fast to its neutrality, and now Britannia looms as the world's only superpower. Rights to Japan's underground resources became a hotly disputed issue straining the already deep-rooted diplomatic tensions between the two sides.** _

Nunnally frowned at the narrator's voice. _That's... that's C2's voice._

"We already know this," Kallen said. She frowned, her face twisting, as the screen flashed with images of Britannia's invasion—of Japanese soldiers being gunned down by heavy fire.

"I think it's just setting the stage," Ohgi told her. He was also frowning at the brutal images.

_**In the deciding battle for the mainland, Britannian forces introduced into combat the humanoid autonomous armored knight known as the Knightmare Frame. The enemy's forces were far greater than anticipated, and the Knightmares obliterated the Japanese line of defense on the mainland with little effort. Japan became a dominion of the Empire. The country was stripped of its freedom, its rights, and its name. Area 11, the defeated and once proud nation of Japan, was rechristened with a mere number.** _

The former Order of the Black Knights listened to the words with steely eyes. Kallen cast a hateful look at the Britannians sitting in the room with her. She knew that it was over with now, that the Japanese were free again. But that didn't erase the years of discrimination and suffering that her people had lived through… that her _mother_ had lived through..

**Suzaku sits outside on a rock, looking utterly defeated. Lelouch stands across from him, rage burning in his eyes.**

**LELOUCH: I swear… I swear, Suzaku, so help me… I will one day obliterate Britannia!**

Tamaki scoffed. "Yeah right! 'Obliterate Britannia,' my ass! He just wanted to rule it!"

Kallen frowned. She didn't believe that. Zero— _Lelouch_ —might have discarded them as nothing more than pawns, but she recognized the righteous anger in his voice. He had truly wanted to rip the country apart from the ground up. She understood the truth of what he had been trying to accomplish. But did it justify all of the innocent lives he had stolen in his crusade? She didn't know.

"Lelouch wanted to destroy Britannia?" Rivalz asked, shaking his head. "Why? He was a Britannian! He was a _prince_!"

"An exiled prince," said Milly softly.

"Huh?"

She shook her head, trying to rid herself of the memory of that boy standing over his sister's hospital bed. "Nothing. It'll probably be talked about soon."

**STAGE 1: THE DAY A NEW DEMON WAS BORN**

"Hmph," Cornelia said, as the title card played across the screen. "That's certainly appropriate."

**7 YEARS AFTER THE WAR (2017 a.t.b.)**

**In the Tokyo settlement, an aircraft is following after a truck.**

**BRITANNIAN POLICE #1:** _**This is Alpha-3! Target is traveling from Delta-12 toward Delta-14, at a speed of 80 kilometers per hour!** _

**BRITANNIAN POLICE #2:** _**CCP to all mobile units. Declaring a Code 3 from floor 5 to floor 2. All units, take 2-8-8. I want the target intact!** _

**Inside a room where two men are playing chest, a television is turned onto the news, broadcasting footage of a smoking building.**

**TV NEWSCASTER:** _**Here's video footage of yesterday's terrorist bombings in Osaka. The secretary reported 59 casualties in this incident: 8 Britannians, and 51 others …** _

Tamaki frowned. "Was that us?"

Minami shrugged. "Probably."

**The timer for the chess match goes off. Man #3 looks up from the board, looking panicked.**

**MAN #1: You're out of time. From here on you'll make your moves every 20 seconds.**

**MAN #2: Very well, I'm game.**

**The door opens. Man #3 turns around.**

**MAN #2: Hm? Did your substitute arrive?**

**MAN #3 steps out of his chair as two boys enter.**

Recognizing the two figures in the doorway, Milly turned to Rivalz. "Were you two gambling again?"

"Not me!" he quickly defended, waving his hands in front of him frantically. "It was all Lelouch, I was just tagging along!"

She raised an eyebrow. "And reaping the benefits of his winnings?"

Rivalz winced. "Er… maybe?" he admitted sheepishly.

**MAN #3: Thank heaven! I'm saved! Are things going well at school?**

**MAN #2: What have we here? Schoolboys?**

**LELOUCH** **: Hmph. Well, look at this, a nobleman.**

**MAN #2: I envy you kids today. You have so much time on your hands. Time for regrets… What's your name?**

**LELOUCH** **: Lelouch… Lamperouge.**

**Rivalz steps up behind his friend and leans over to look at the chessboard.**

**RIVALZ: Whoa! Now wait a minute! You can't win this one. It's impossible, right?**

Schneizel looked carefully at the where the pieces were placed on the board. "Checkmate in four," he declared.

Cornelia looked at the board. "The noble?"

"No," he replied, "Lelouch."

She frowned at the screen. "I don't see it."

"Yes, well, that's why I always beat you."

She glared.

 **LELOUCH** **: Rivalz, when do you think we would have to leave in order to make our next class?**

**RIVALZ: Ah… twenty minutes if we bust our hump.**

**LELOUCH** **: Then be sure that you drive safely on the way back.**

 **RIVALZ:** _**Huh** _ **?!**

 **LELOUCH** **: I'll need nine minutes.**

**Lelouch takes Man #3's place in the chair.**

**LELOUCH: By the way, about yesterday?**

**MAN #3: Understood, sir. We'll discuss it later.**

**MAN #2: Nine minutes? You only have twenty seconds per move.**

_King to G6,_ Schneizel thought.

**Lelouch lifts his black king from the board.**

Schneizel smirked.

 **LELOUCH** **: Enough time.**

**MAN #2: Hm? You start with the king?**

**The man laughs incredulously. Lelouch smiles.**

**The scene changes to Ashford Academy. Shirley, Milly, and Nina are outside eating lunch.**

The former students of Ashford froze when Shirley appeared on the screen. A heavy sadness filled their hearts to see their friend again.

 **MILLY** **: Where's Lelouch?**

 **SHIRLEY** **: He went somewhere with Rivalz.**

 **MILLY** **: What! Maybe it's poker this time?**

 **SHIRLEY** **: They seem to forget that they're on the student council! They're off gambling for money! Lulu may be smart, yet he wastes his brain on stupid things! If only he'd apply himself in school, he'd get high grades!**

Tamaki laughed. "She calls him _Lulu_? The _Demon of Britannia_?"

Kallen smiled, though it was tinged with sadness. "She did. Probably the only one who could've ever gotten away with it."

"She looks so _alive_ ," Nina whispered, her eyes locked on the vibrant girl on the screen.

Milly smiled. "She was," she whispered.

Kallen looked over at the three Ashford students, and she longed to go over there and join them. To share in their grief, and their memories. But she couldn't. Lelouch's death had begun to put an end to the separation between their two nations, but Kallen still felt out of place; like she was stuck with one foot planted on either side of a line.

Kallen Kouzuki. Kallen Stadtfeld. She would never fully be either of them.

 **MILLY (mockingly)** **: 'Oh, I wish my darling Lulu would be a serious young man!' How adorable is that?**

**SHIRLEY looks away, embarrassed.**

**SHIRLEY** **: Please, madam president…**

**Kallen and Nagata are driving down the road in the truck seen earlier. Their faces are concealed by hats.**

**NAGATA: Perfect! After we finally steal this damn thing…! It's all because Tamaki couldn't stick to Naoto's plan. And now we've got a problem!**

The Black Knights stiffened when they heard their fallen comrade's voice. A guilty look flashed over Tamaki's face at Nagata's words, which Ohgi was quick to notice. He placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"It wasn't your fault."

"But I messed up the plan... "

"You made a mistake," said Ohgi. "You couldn't have known what would happen. And even if the plan had gone like it was supposed to, you don't know it wouldn't have ended the same way."

**MAN #2 gapes at the chessboard in horror when he realizes Lelouch won.**

**RIVALZ:** **I love playing against the nobility! When they lose. they always pay out of pride. By the way, eight minutes thirty-two seconds is a new record!**

**Lelouch and Rivalz exit the building. Lelouch is calm, while Rivalz is rushing ahead in excitement.**

**LELOUCH** **: He also didn't have much time to move, either. And as opponents go, the nobles are tepid** **.** **They're just overprivileged parasites, that's all.**

**RIVALZ: Well then, why don't you challenge one of the Elevens? They're nothing like us Britannians…**

Rivalz laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his head. "Uh, sorry…"

Ohgi waved the apology away. "You're fine, kid. We didn't exactly have a high opinion of any of you Britannians, either."

**Rivalz turns around in surprise when they reach outside. People are hovering around a news broadcast, chattering loudly.**

**MAN: What are they trying to prove by killing innocent people?**

**WOMAN: Those Elevens terrify me!**

Ohgi sighed, sharing a glance with Kallen who also looked uncomfortable. He didn't regret one second of fighting against Britannia—none of them did—but sometimes it had been easy to forget that not all Britannians were responsible for their plight. Some were civilians, ordinary people simply living their lives—and they had gotten caught in the crossfire of a fight they had no part in.

 **TV BROADCAST:** _**We apologize for the delay. Now, His Royal Highness Prince Clovis, third prince of Britannia, will address the nation.** _

**On the broadcast, Prince Clovis appears on the screen. Lelouch's eyes narrow, filling with a sudden anger.**

Cornelia let out a breath at the sight of her younger brother. Her naïve, often frivolous younger brother, who had done nothing to garner Lelouch's rage.

 _It was Lady Marianne you wanted to avenge,_ she thought, staring at the image of Lelouch's angry face. _It was Father whom had wronged you. Clovis wasn't a part of your grudge. There was no reason to kill him._

In her lap, her hands curled into tight fists. She looked to her left at Schneizel, but his face was like a mask. She felt anger toward him as well—her brother, who had shot her down without hesitation in his pursuit of world domination. Did he care for Clovis at all, she wondered?

She shouldn't be surprised if he didn't. He and Lelouch had always been alike, after all.

 **CLOVIS** **:** _**To all my imperial subjects! Including, of course, the many cooperative Elevens who choose to serve the empire of Britannia!** _

**Kallen, also watching from the truck, shakes with rage.**

**KALLEN** **: We're not Elevens! We're Japanese!**

 **CLOVIS** **:** _**Do you not see my pain? My heart was ripped from my chest only to be torn apart! The remnants are filled with rage and sadness! However, as ruler of Area 11, I will not tolerate terrorism of any kind! Because the battle we fight is a righteous one, a virtuous battle to protect the well-being of one and all!** _

_Always so melodramatic,_ the ex-Viceroy thought, rolling her eyes. _Honestly, Clovis._

 **CLOVIS:** _**Now then, everyone! I would like you to join me in observance of the eight who died for justice, in the line of duty.** _

**TV BROADCAST:** _**A moment of silence, please.** _

**Boarding his bike, Rivalz turns to Lelouch.**

**RIVALZ: Well, aren't you gonna join in?**

**LELOUCH** **: Aren't you?**

**RIVALZ: Heh… It's sort of embarrassing.**

**LELOUCH** **: And I agree with you. Besides, spilling tears over those people won't bring them back to life now, will it.**

Many people in the crowd clenched their fists at this. It wasn't anything that wasn't true, but coming from the boy who would soon be the Demon Emperor, it just sounded callous.

 _And Euphie?_ Suzaku wondered. _Shirley? Did you cry for them, Lelouch?_

**RIVALZ: Dang! That's dark, buddy.**

**LELOUCH** **: It's all about self-satisfaction. (** _ **turns around to look at the broadcast of Clovis**_ **) Doesn't matter how hard you try, you can't do it. There's no way you can change the world.**

Many people in the room wore incredulous faces.

"Never thought I'd hear something like that from him," said Ohgi quietly.

"He told me the same thing once," Kallen replied with a frown. "It was right after we formed the Black Knights. I suspected him of being Zero, and he told me all about how the Britannians could never be stopped and there was no point in trying." She shook her head. "I realize now he was just trying to throw me off so I wouldn't suspect him."

"But _why_?" Tamaki exclaimed, frustrated. "Why throw you off? Why didn't he just trust us and tell us his identity? If we'd known who he was, then maybe—"

"You _know_ why he didn't tell us who he was," Ohgi scowled. "He never trusted us, because he never cared. We were only pieces on a chessboard to him. That was even what he _called_ us, remember?"

Tamaki lowered his head. "I know," he said. "But… I still don't want to believe it."

Kallen bit her lip in an effort not to speak up. She wanted to contradict Ohgi's words, but nothing he'd said had actually been false. Lelouch might have been fighting for their cause the whole time, but he _had_ treated them like chess pieces. Easily discarded.

 _You discarded him first,_ she reminded herself. _How did you expect him to respond?_

**The camera turns off. Prince Clovis descends the stairs.**

**WOMAN: You were magnificent, Your Highness! One would never guess that you were attending a party while doing that!**

**CLOVIS** **: After all, the viceroy is the marquee actor of Area 11. I need to change costumes quickly.**

**WOMAN: My! You're so self-confident!**

**CLOVIS** **: It's all in the performance. Since the media want a charismatic prince, I give them one.**

**MAN: Untrue! Prince Clovis, our key purpose in life is to support and assist your reign in any way we can!**

**Observing from around a corner, Diethard watches with disapproving eyes.**

The Black Knights frowned at Diethard, having mixed feelings about the man. He had been useful in promoting their cause, in making sure the world knew that Zero was out there and fighting. But he had never cared for their cause. The rest of the Black Knights had had to be persuaded to turn against their leader, but Diethard had joined with Schneizel the moment it seemed like he would be the winning side.

"Diethard was useful," said Ohgi. "It was a shame he died."

"Useful, I'll give him," Kallen responded. "But he was never loyal. I certainly won't cry over him."

**DIETHARD (under his breath): His reign is a pathetic sham…**

Cornelia glared at the screen. "Traitorous fool," she muttered.

"Come now, sister," said Schneizel. "You must admit that he has a point. Clovis was never suited for a throne, even one as small as the one over Area Eleven."

Cornelia wanted to argue, but she knew that he was right. Clovis had never had the deposition required to lead—and he had never desired it, either. He had only wanted the position because knew it was where Nunnally and Lelouch had last been seen alive.

**A soldier rushes passed him urgently, up to Clovis.**

**BARTLEY: Y-Your Highness!**

**DIETHARD: Hm? A soldier?**

**CLOVIS (to the soldier)** **: God, how boorish of you!**

**BARTLEY: I beg your pardon, Your Highness. My Lord…**

**DIETHARD: Not another appearance for him! Hope it's not as dreary…**

**Diethard turns to leave, but an exclamation from the prince catches his attention.**

**CLOVIS** **: You fool!**

**BARTLEY: The police were informed that it's medical equipment, that's all. If we scramble the army there'll be a record…**

**CLOVIS** **: Deploy the Royal Guard! The Knightmares as well!**

Cornelia frowned at Clovis' obvious distress. "What was it?"

"It was poison gas," Kallen answered, who had only just figured out what day this was meant to be. _It's the day I first spoke to Zero._ "It was being weaponized, so we broke in and stole it. The plan was to get out with it without being seen, but someone noticed us."

 _Poison gas,_ Suzaku thought as the realization struck him. _So this is_ that _day._

"Poison gas?" the Second Princess questioned. "Why would Clovis be weaponizing _poison gas_?"

"Why else?" Kallen responded. "To wipe us out if we ever got out of control!"

"You have the wrong picture of my brother. He's not one for meaningless slaughter."

"Tell that to the people of Shinjuku Ghetto," Kallen snapped back angrily. "Oh, wait. You can't, because Clovis ordered them _killed_!"

The two of them glared at each other, but Cornelia didn't respond. Eventually, she looked back to the screen, forcing Kallen to drop her gaze as well.

 **BRITANNIAN ARMY:** _**Alert 1! Alert 1!** _

**Villeta and Jeremiah both board their Knightmares and prepare to deploy.**

**BRITANNIAN ARMY:** _**4th, 7th, and 8th rapid reaction companies, as well as the 31st air assault team, immediate scramble! Special Division 9, stand by for deployment!** _

**Lelouch and Rivalz are speeding down the street. Lelouch is reading a book as they do.**

Nunnally smiled fondly at the sight.

**RIVALZ: That first move you made…**

**LELOUCH** **: Hm?**

**RIVALZ: Why'd you start with the king?**

**LELOUCH** **: If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?**

Schneizel started at the familiar words, recited verbatim from his memory. He remembered them well, from the Vermilion Forbidden City. Sitting across from Zero, a chessboard between them as he had lifted his king for the first move.

" _It's your king."_

" _If the king doesn't lead, how can he expect his subordinates to follow?"_

When they were children, Lelouch had always started with the king. Before their chess match, Schneizel had already suspected that Zero's identity was Lelouch. But it hadn't been until that opening move that he had actually _known_.

"Isn't that the same thing he said to Prince Schneizel at the Vermilion?" Tamaki asked.

"It is," said Kallen with a frown. _The king always leads, huh? But that's not always true for you, is it? You used us and then you threw us away._

**RIVALZ (looking at him in puzzlement): What's with that?**

**LELOUCH** **: With what?**

**RIVALZ: Do you fantasize about running a major corporation?**

**LELOUCH** **: No way. Ambitions like that will ruin your health…**

"Says the _Emperor of Britannia_. Unbelievable."

Rivalz frowned. "Was that a lie? You don't think he already planned to…"

Milly shrugged. "Who knows," she said. "We always thought Lelouch was rather lazy. That he never cared enough to apply himself to things. But that was obviously just another mask he was wearing."

**A truck rides up right behind them, beeping. Rivalz freaks out, jerking the wheel around.**

**RIVALZ: Whoa! We're gonna die!**

**NAGATA: You idiot! Watch where you're going!**

**KALLEN** **: No! Not that way!**

**Nagata turns the wheel sharply. The truck careens off the road, crashing and sending up smoke. Rivalz's bike skids to a halt. He and Lelouch look out at the smoke.**

**RIVALZ: Uh… Was that our fault?**

" _Yes_ ," said Kallen. She shook her head. "I can't believe that was you two. I nearly died, you know. Nagata _did_ die."

Rivalz sank back in his chair. "I'm sorry…"

"Don't be," Ohgi told him. He turned to Kallen. "You and I both know it wasn't that kid's fault. Prince Clovis had already deployed the Knightmares. Even if you hadn't crashed, they still would've caught up to you."

She sighed. "You're right. Sorry, Rivalz."

 **LELOUCH** **: I don't think so–**

**Lelouch gasps slightly, his eyes widening when he notices something…**

**BRITANNIAN POLICE #1:** _**Control, the target has crashed at the abandoned V.O. building construction site.** _

**BRITANNIAN POLICE #2:** _**The military will take over. General Bartley's command.** _

**BRITANNIAN POLICE #3:** _**Him?!** _

**BARTLEY (walking through a hallway):** _**We have to retrieve it at all costs! That thing… in the wrong hands…!** _

"'That thing'?" Cornelia repeated, shaking her head. "Why is he being so vague? If it's poison gas just say so."

"Unless it's not poison gas," Schneizel said, thinking deeply.

"What? Then what is it?"

"What do you _mean_ not poison gas?" asked Jeremiah. "That's _exactly_ what it was. I read it in the report!"

**From the truck that crashed, something begins to glow. Lelouch stares, removing his helmet and visor.**

" _Definitely_ not poison gas," Schneizel confirmed.

Jeremiah frowned. "But then… what was he threatening me with when he rescued Kururugi? Was it just a bluff?"

 **LELOUCH** **: What the…?**

**RIVALZ: Oh man, this sucks! Looks like the power line on the bike got cut.**

**LELOUCH** **: Yeah… Rivalz, come check this out.**

**MAN #1: Hey! Over here!**

**MAN #2: Whoa! Nasty crash!**

**WOMAN #1: What happened? Some sort of accident?**

**MAN #3: Probably a drunk driver…**

**Around the crash site, spectators begin to gather, some of them taking out their phones and taking pictures. Lelouch's eyes narrow in contempt.**

**Lelouch** **:** _**All those idiots…!** _

Rivalz shifted in his seat. A lot of times, he had acted the same as those onlookers on the screen were. Did Lelouch feel the same disgust toward him? Had he only been _pretending_ to like Rivalz?

**Lelouch leaves his helmet with the bike, running toward the crashed vehicle.**

**RIVALZ: Wait!**

**GIRL: What is it, an accident? Did a car crash?**

**MAN: Look, the student rescue team has arrived.**

**LELOUCH (searching for a way inside the truck)** **: Hey! Are you alright?**

Kallen frowned. "He was out there that time?"

**RIVALZ (pushing his bike down the street by the handlebars): Yeah, yeah, I know it's the right thing to do, but I wish the guy would quit flaunting his pride and just give it a rest for a while. Now we're gonna be late to school!**

**Inside the truck, the passenger-side airbag is deflating. Nagata is unconscious.**

**KALLEN** **: Nagata? Nagata!**

**Nagata stirs slightly. Lelouch climbs the ladder to look into the truck.**

**LELOUCH: Can you hear me? Are you okay?**

**C.C.** **: It's you… Finally I have found my…**

**At the sudden mysterious voice, Lelouch looks around, confused.**

Nearly everyone in the room frowned.

Nunnally recognized it immediately. _C2? What does she want with Big Brother?_

"Soooo… the Demon Prince is hearing voices now?" Tamaki asked.

Kallen rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Tamaki. That voice… it sounded familiar…"

 **LELOUCH** **: Where…?**

**From inside, the truck is put into gear.**

**LELOUCH: Are you in there?**

**The truck starts driving. With a cry, Lelouch falls into the moving vehicle.**

"Oh, you've got to be _kidding_ me!" Kallen exclaimed. "No, no way. I refuse to believe he was back there the whole time and I didn't notice!"

"So that's where he went," said Rivalz. "I thought he just up and abandoned me!"

"I remember," Milly said. "You wouldn't stop yelling at him about it the next day. It was actually kind of mean."

"Well if I'd known he'd fallen into a truck full of terrorists, I might've been less harsh!"

 **LELOUCH** **: Stop! I'm in here!**

**RIVALZ (watching from the bridge): So, would you call that a hit and run?**

Milly looked at him strangely. "…But no one got hit."

"Yeah, and no one ran," Nina added.

Rivalz threw his hands up. "What is this, pick on Rivalz day?"

"Don't be ridiculous, sweetie." The Ashford heiress patted him on the head. "We do that every day."

**Inside the truck, Lelouch searches for a way to climb back out.**

**LELOUCH** **: You'd think they'd stick a ladder on the inside, too.**

**Outside, police helicopters begin to close in on the truck.**

**BRITANNIAN ARMY:** _**Stop the vehicle!** _ _**Surrender now and you'll get the chance to defend yourself in court! Stop and surrender at once!** _

Suzaku held back an incredulous snort. _Defend themselves in court. Like the chance you gave me?_

**The aircraft begins firing, causing the vehicle to swerve to avoid the shots.**

**BRITANNIAN ARMY:** _**Give up now or we'll shoot to kill!** _

**NAGATA: Now what do we do?! That's the army!**

**KALLEN (pulls off her cap, revealing her face)** **: Have you forgotten? That's what I'm here for!**

"Sooo…" said Rivalz. "Can we talk about the fact that you're apparently an Eleven? And a terrorist?"

The three teenagers from Ashford looked at her. Kallen sank low in her chair, avoiding their eyes.

"I'm Japanese, not an Eleven," she corrected. Rivalz winced, a guilty look passing briefly over his face. "And you all already knew I was a member of the Black Knights. Why else would I be sitting with them?"

"Yes," said Nina. "But _why_? Why pretend to be a Britannian? Why attend Ashford?"

"I _am_ a Britannian," she said, but the disgusted twist to her lip revealed that it wasn't a declaration she made proudly.

Rivalz frowned. "But you said you were Japanese."

Kallen hesitated. "I… am."

Confusion still showed on their faces. "Huh? But—"

Cornelia rolled her eyes, impatient with the conversation. "Oh, isn't it obvious? She's a half-breed!"

Their faces fell into identical looks of surprise—except for Milly, who looked unphased by the revelation. Kallen's eyes widened, then narrowed, and she turned an angry gaze on the Britannian princess.

" _Half-breed_? What am I, a dog?"

Cornelia had the grace to look properly apologetic. "I apologize. That was unseemly of me."

Kallen blinked in shock at the apology, but recovered quickly. "Whatever. Just watch yourself, _your highness_."

At that response, all traces of apology fled Cornelia's expression. Schneizel chuckled quietly at the affronted look on her face.

 **LELOUCH** **: If I jump out, I have the choice of breaking my neck or getting shot. I can try to call–**

**The door to the back of the truck opens. Lelouch falls silent, hiding from sight as Kallen walks by, stripping off her jacket.**

**KALLEN** **: Can you enter the subway via the Azabu root?**

Kallen shook her head as she watched herself walk right passed where Lelouch was hiding. _Seriously, how did I not see him?_

**NAGATA: Kallen! Let's use it here! Why not?**

**KALLEN** **: Because that would mean a blood bath!**

Cornelia raised an eyebrow. "Your friend would have released a poison gas on a street filled with innocent people. How is that different from what my brother did?"

Kallen glared. "He wouldn't have actually done it! He was just panicking! And Clovis shot down _his own people_! That's way worse than anything we've ever done."

"You turned on Lelouch," Jeremiah pointed out. The expression on his face was hateful. "Was he not one of your people?"

The Black Knights shifted in their seats, assaulted by a combination of anger and shame. They knew that Lelouch had been out of his mind, that he'd only been using them. But he _had_ been one of their people. And they had betrayed him. It would be a lie for them to say they never felt guilty—never wondered if they had made the right decision.

"Lelouch betrayed _us_ first," said Tamaki, even as a spark of doubt flickered in his heart. "He used us. He twisted our minds so we would do as he wanted."

Kallen shifted in her seat. She didn't speak.

Jeremiah shook with anger. If he'd been fully human, his face would've been red. "Foolish Eleven! You know nothing! You will still your filthy tongue—"

"Jeremiah," Nunnally interrupted. Her voice wasn't harsh, but there was a hint of an edge to it that caused Jeremiah to fall silent immediately. "Please stop. It pains me as well to hear such words spoken against my brother. But I once believed the same as them. Would you condemn me as you condemn them?"

"Of course not, my lady!" He looked horrified by the mere suggestion. "You had no way of knowing—"

"And neither do they," said Nunnally. "So, please. Judge them by the same standards by which you judge me."

**NAGATA: You're right.**

**Lelouch's eye narrows on Kallen's retreating back.**

**LELOUCH** **: I've seen her before.**

Kallen shifted slightly at the stares she received.

**RIVALZ (outside, looking around): Lelouch, come on! Where are you? We've gotta get to schoool!**

**BRITANNIAN ARMY #1:** _**Target is moving from the settlement toward the ghetto.** _

**BRITANNIAN ARMY #2:** _**Copy that! Corner 'em!** _

**BRITANNIAN ARMY #1:** _**Roger!** _

**BRITANNIAN ARMY #3:** _**A Slash Harken?!** _

**From the truck, a Knightmare jumps out. The pilot's eyes widen.**

**BRITANNIAN ARMY #3:** _**A Knightmare!** _

Lloyd rubbed his hands together as he stared at the screen. "Oh, look at it go!" he said, speaking for the first time since the memory started. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Cecile rolled her eyes.

 **LELOUCH** **: Crap! These guys are real terrorists!**

Disbelief and amusement rippled through the room as they watched the _future terrorist_ freak out at the situation he had landed himself in. He really had been just a kid once, hadn't he?

 _Little brother,_ Schneizel thought, his lips twitching down slightly as he observed the real panic on Lelouch's face. _You really had no idea what you were getting into, did you?_

Behind his mask, Suzaku frowned at the screen. Since learning Lelouch was Zero, he had come to believe that Lelouch's involvement that day must have been planned—that he must've been working toward the same goal as the terrorists. But this was revealing to him that it wasn't so; him stumbling into the line of fire had truly been just an accident.

Soon after this incident, Zero made his first appearance. Lelouch became a terrorist. But in this moment, when they had met up again, Lelouch truly had been just a schoolboy, tangled up in something he hadn't meant to be a part of.

 **KALLEN** **: You fellas know full well what this badass mother can do!**

"Yes," said Lloyd, "but that's a _Glasglow_ you're piloting, dear. Sutherlands are much more efficient."

"I was fighting against helicopters," Kallen pointed out. "It would've taken them out easily." _If only the other Knightmares hadn't shown up. Nagata would've made it out…_

**The Knightmare swerves shots, taking down two helicopters with a Slash Harken. Jeremiah flies forward to take their places. He drops from the aircraft inside his Knightmare.**

Jeremiah made a pained face when he saw himself on screen. Completely human, his body undamaged…

**JEREMIAH: The rest of you, back off. I'll take this guy. I can only assume you dug that obsolete relic out of some scrap heap. An over the hill Glasgow is no match for a Sutherland! Not to mention a filthy Eleven who spurns the compassion of our glorious Emperor!**

Jeremiah winced at his own words, while the Black Knights glared at him.

**Jeremiah fires at Kallen. She struggles to stay upright.**

**NAGATA: Kallen, we should both split up! Both of us can't risk being killed! Run for it!**

Kallen winced, her guilt like a lead ball in her stomach. Ohgi glanced at her, and he placed his hand over hers. "It wasn't your fault."

"I shouldn't have left him…"

"If you'd stayed," said Ohgi, "you would've both died. You did all you could."

 **KALLEN** **: But…!**

**Inside her Knightmare, Villeta speeds up a building to cut off Nagato's route.**

**VILLETA: Simpleminded Eleven.**

Kallen frowned and shot Ohgi a look. Ohgi winced.

"She's different now!" he defended his fiancé.

**The mechanisms on Kallen's Knightmare are jammed. She desperately pushes at the controls.**

**KALLEN** **: No way…! It's stuck…!**

Lloyd smirked. "What do you expect when you're piloting a rusty _Glasglow_?"

Kallen huffed.

**JEREMIAH: Secondhand junk! I will admit! I really like your spirit. However…!**

**Jeremiah lands a hit with his Knightmare. Kallen's Knightmare skids backwards.**

The Black Knights winced, all of them stiff in their seats. They knew Kallen made it out of this, of course, but it was still tense to watch. They also knew that this was the mission where they lost Nagata, and they felt dread as they waited for his last moments to be revealed.

**Back inside the truck, Lelouch is crouched down, his cell phone flipped open.**

**LELOUCH** **: No cell phone reception. We're out of range. Judging from the darkness and road surface, we must be driving along the old subway lines. They're heading for an exit somewhere in the ghetto. Getting out would be dangerous. Still…**

Rivalz eyes widened slightly at the deduction. "That's smart."

"You're surprised?" Milly questioned. "You know how clever Lelouch was. That's nothing compared to some of the other things we've seen him figure out."

"True," said Rivalz, but he winced at Milly's use of the past tense. _Was. Not is._ It had been nearly half a year since Lelouch had been killed… but it was still hard to hear him talked about as someone who was gone.

**At his side, Lelouch's hand grips a communicator as he works out what to do.**

**LELOUCH: Okay, I've got it. I'm not big on military but I'll take their protection. If I give them a terrorist communicator… Oh, wait. I forgot…**

Suzaku blinked in surprise, along with several others. _You were really going to turn to Britannian forces for help? You really did change, Lelouch._

**RIVALZ (still pushing his bike down the road): Some friend… Leaving me behind like that!**

_Sorry, Lelouch,_ Rivalz thought—even though he knew he had no reason to feel guilty, that Lelouch had probably never actually cared about him. _I didn't know._

**LLOYD: Ah-ha!**

Several people jumped at the sudden appearance of Lloyd's face on the screen. Lloyd cackled.

**Lloyd is bent at the waist, peering closely at Bartley.**

**BARTLEY: What are you doing?**

**LLOYD: Looking at a man who blundered… Am I right?**

**BARTLEY: Why, you…!**

**LLOYD: You really screwed this one up. Terrorists came along and stole whatever it was that you and Prince Clovis were secretly working on. Retrieving it is simple, but you want to sweep up all of their compatriots in addition. Let the terrorists go and you can find their hideout, too. (** _ **turning to Cecile behind him)** _ **Congratulations! Your reasoning was spot on!**

**CECILE: It was nothing. I just thought it was strange…**

Kallen turned her glare on the two Britannians. Cecile winced.

"Sorry," she said.

"I'm not," said Lloyd, shrugging his shoulders carelessly.

**BARTLEY: Okay, that's enough. What is it the Special Corps wants out of this?**

**LLOYD: I'm merely saying that I'd like to assist with the cleanup!**

**BARTLEY: To assist?**

**LLOYD: Correct. Because it's data I want.**

**CECILE: Excuse me, but what in the world have they just stolen, anyway?**

"That's the question, isn't it," Cornelia muttered, a crease between her eyebrows.

Schneizel frowned in deep thought. He knew Clovis had been in charge of a research project known as Code R before his death, and he knew that the project's purpose had been to experiment with Geass. With the notes he'd read on the program's findings, combined with the knowledge that this so-called 'secret weapon' was somehow involved in starting Lelouch on his path of terrorism, it wasn't hard for him to make a fairly certain guess about what the poison gas actually was.

**BARTLEY: Chemical weapons. In other words… poison gas.**

**ROYAL GUARD:** _**The terrorists are hiding in the subway system. Your mission is to locate the weapon that they've stolen. Investigate the old subway system that runs through the Eleven residential district in the Shinjuku Ghetto. Report in the moment you spot them. Recovery of the target will be handled by us, the Royal Guard. You people bear the honorary title of Britannians now, but you were born Elevens! Therefore the stench of these monkeys oughta be a familiar one! If you want to earn the right to carry arms, then show some results! This is your opportunity to show your loyalty to Britannia!** _

**BRITANNIAN ARMY:** _**Yes, my lord!** _

Kallen was shaking with rage. "Those cowards. _Honorary Britannians._ "

She spat the title out like it was something filthy. Suzaku inwardly flinched.

**Inside the truck, Nagata is badly wounded and bleeding heavily.**

The Black Knights cringed at the sight of their fallen comrade.

**The truck falls into a hole in the floor.**

**LELOUCH** **: An accident?! Or else…**

**As the Britannian forces draw closer, Nagata slams the gas and tries desperately to get away, but the tire is stuck and he's losing strength.**

**NAGATA: The tire's stuck… Please, Ohgi… Find me…!**

Ohgi flinched. _I'm sorry, Nagata…_

**The vehicle begins to admit sparks. Nagata reaches down to flip one of the switches. Lelouch ducks out of view of one of the Britannian soldiers, who now has eyes on the so-called poison gas.**

**BRITANNIAN ARMY:** _**4-0-4 has sighted the target.** _

**ROYAL GUARD:** _**Roger. Prepare for recovery.** _

**The soldier spots Lelouch near the device. He gasps, running forward.**

"Shit!" Rivalz exclaimed. He bit his nails nervously. "He's been spotted!"

Suzaku held his breath, knowing what came next.

 **LELOUCH** **: Now I can use this chance to climb up…**

**Alerted to a noise behind him, Lelouch spins around. The Britannian soldier kicks him, sending him to the ground. Lelouch groans.**

**LELOUCH: Are you Britannian…?**

**The soldier grabs onto Lelouch's throat, halting his words.**

**SUZAKU** **: That's enough mindless murder!**

Everyone's eyes were riveted to the screen. Some of them were worried, others just curious. But Nunnally gasped when she heard the voice of the soldier.

" _Suzaku_?" she exclaimed in surprise. Her eyes instinctively darted to the right, where Zero was sitting, before she forced them away.

 **LELOUCH** **: Wait! I'm not one of…!**

 **SUZAKU** **: Planning to use poison gas! Don't play dumb with me!**

"He's not, actually," said Minami. "He really has no idea what's going on. Ironically enough."

Suzaku winced. _Well, I know that now. Though it's still unbelievable that he managed to stumble into the middle of a terrorist attack on_ accident _…_

 **LELOUCH** **: Get off me…!**

**Lelouch kicks out at the soldier. The soldier jumps back, out of his range.**

**LELOUCH: I'm not here by choice. And if that's poison gas, it was made in Britannia, wasn't it?!**

**SUZAKU (gasping as Lelouch gets to his feet)** **: My god…**

 **LELOUCH** **: Mindless murder? (** _ **he walks forward a few paces, his voice filling with a sudden rage)** _ **Then why don't you just obliterate Britannia!**

Many people's eyes widened at the sudden change to his voice, at the anger within it. It was like a switch had been flipped.

"I've never seen Lelouch get that angry before," Rivalz whispered.

"He was always that angry," said Milly. She watched the screen sadly. "He just never let any of us see it."

 **SUZAKU** **: Lelouch?**

**The anger falls from Lelouch's face at the familiar voice, leaving him looking dumbfounded. The soldier removes his helmet, smiling.**

Most of them already knew who it was, due to Nunnally's exclamation. Suzaku watched the scene carefully, his eyes glued to the memory playing out before his eyes.

**SUZAKU: It's me, Suzaku.**

**Lelouch gasps in shock. His eyes glimmer with emotion as he remembers: Suzaku, holding out a hand… Suzaku, sitting defeated on a rock.**

Suzaku's chest felt tight. He closed his eyes briefly, breathing through it. It had been much easier to convince himself that Lelouch never cared… but watching this, it was clear how effected his friend had been to see him again.

 **Lelouch** **: You… you became a Britannian soldier?**

 **SUZAKU (accusingly)** **: Yeah, and what about** _**you** _ **? You're a…**

 **LELOUCH (angrily)** **: What are you saying?!**

Suzaku winced at the accusation in his own voice. When he had seen Lelouch with the stolen weapon, he had immediately assumed he was with the terrorists. Lelouch's angry response made a lot more sense now.

**The device between them glows, beginning to open. Suzaku doesn't hesitate: he clamps his hand over Lelouch's nose and mouth, tackling him to the floor.**

The viewers blinked in surprise at the quick tackle—at how quickly Suzaku had jumped into action to save Lelouch's life.

Nunnally reached below the table, giving Zero's gloved hand a soft squeeze. "Thank you," she whispered.

"It wasn't actually poison gas," he whispered back. "It would've been fine."

"But you didn't know that," said Nunnally. "You didn't even pause."

Suzaku shrugged. "It's how I was trained."

**The device opens up. Inside isn't poison gas; it's a green-haired girl, bound and gagged. On the ground, Suzaku is still covering Lelouch's face, and the two of them stare up at her in wonder.**

" _C2_?!" Kallen exclaimed.

Schneizel made a satisfied noise. "So I was right."

Cornelia turned on him. "You knew it was her?!"

"I had an inkling," he replied.

She huffed. "You could have _said something_."

"Where would be the fun in that, little sister?"

"Damn you, we're the same age! You're only a day older! A _day_ , Schneizel!"

Ignoring the bickering siblings on the other side of the long table, Kallen shook her head at the image on the screen. "How the hell did Clovis get ahold of C2?"

 _Brother's friend,_ Nunnally thought with a frown. _What does she have to do with all this?_

 **SUZAKU** **: That's not poison gas… What is it?**

**The green-haired girl opens her eyes. She looks at them.**

**Kallen has escaped from the fighting. She's holed up in her Knightmare, speaking to Ohgi through comms.**

**KALLEN** **: In all the confusion, I left it in the coat.**

**OHGI: It's okay. The Glassgow's circuits are usable. So, were we right?**

**KALLEN** **: Think so. I bet it's poison gas, like Intelligence said.**

**OHGI: And Nagata?**

**KALLEN** **: I don't know. I think he made it underground.**

**Nagata lays bleeding in the truck, gasping and fighting for breath.**

Kallen closed her eyes tightly. _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._

**Lelouch holds C.C. close, removing her blindfold. Suzaku frees her from the straightjacket.**

**LELOUCH** **: Tell me the truth, Suzaku. Poison gas? This girl?**

 **SUZAKU** **: Hey, it's what they told us in the briefing. I swear!**

**Lights are flipped on. Suzaku spins around with a gasp, and is met with a squad of Britannian forces.**

" _Shit_ ," said Rivalz.

**ROYAL GUARD: Stinking monkey! Being an honorary Britannian will not excuse you!**

**SUZAKU (running up to the guard)** **: But sir, I was told this was poison gas!**

**ROYAL GUARD: How dare you question orders!**

**LELOUCH** **:** _**This is bad.** _ _**A poisonous situation which would pose a threat to Suzaku's superiors if it's unleashed.** _

"No pun intended," Lloyd giggled. "Or was it intended?"

Cecile whacked him on the shoulder. "Lloyd! This is a serious situation!"

The Earl rolled his eyes. "But it _already happened._ They were both fine, obviously."

"Suzaku was shot," she reminded him. "He nearly died."

"Yes, yes. But he was _fine_."

**ROYAL GUARD: However, in light of your outstanding military achievements I'm going to be lenient.**

**The captain of the guard pulls out a gun and hands it out for Suzaku to take.**

**ROYAL GUARD: Private Kururugi, take this and execute the terrorist.**

Rivalz eyes widened. "Huh?!"

"But he's not even an _Eleven_ ," Nina protested. "Surely they can tell he's Britannian by the school uniform!"

Kallen scowled. "They can tell. They just don't care. Britannia may value their own people more than us Japanese, but they still won't hesitate to shoot them down."

 **SUZAKU** **: But he's not a terrorist! He's a civilian who got caught up in all this!**

**ROYAL GUARD: You insubordinate little…! That's an order. Didn't you swear your loyalty and your life to Britannia?!**

**Inside the vehicle, Nagata lays dying. There is a picture of him with a woman and a small child hung up on the console.**

Jeremiah frowned at the picture. The smallest sliver of guilt went through him, for the part he had played in the young man's death. "Who were they?" he asked.

Kallen blinked in surprise before deciding to answer. "His sister and her daughter. They were his only family." She paused before adding coldly, "They both lived in Shinjuku Ghetto. They both died."

Jeremiah flinched violently.

 **SUZAKU** **: Yes, but… but I can't.**

**Lelouch was shaking with rage. When Suzaku says this, its replaced with pure shock.**

Suzaku felt a flash of hurt go through him at the expression. Had Lelouch really believed he would actually shoot him?

**ROYAL GUARD: What?**

**SUZAKU** **: I won't do it, sir. I won't shoot a civilian. I can't follow your orders, sir.**

Kallen was surprised, honestly. Suzaku had always been so adamant about following orders—even the ones that were so blatantly wrong. But then, he had sided with Lelouch in the end, so perhaps she never actually knew him at all. Perhaps Lelouch was the only person he was willing to defy his orders for.

**Suzaku turns. He meets his old friend's eyes, his expression loyal and unwavering. The Royal Guard aims the gun at Suzaku's lower back.**

**ROYAL GUARD: Very well.**

**He shoots Suzaku. Suzaku's eyes widen.**

Nunnally gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. The Black Knights stared with wide eyes, and Rivalz jerked in his seat.

"In the _back?_ Those bastards—!"

**Panicked, Lelouch lunges forward.**

**LELOUCH** **: Suzaku!**

**Suzaku falls to the ground.**

Nunnally's breaths were loud and shaky next to him. Suzaku reached under the table, placing a hand on her knee. _It's okay,_ he tried to communicate. _I'm here. I'm okay._

She placed her hand over his, gripping it tightly. She wished that she could lean into him. She wished that he wasn't wearing that mask, so she could see his face.

Milly was pulling an upset Rivalz back into his seat, shushing him. "It's okay," she was telling him. "He's fine, remember? He survives somehow."

The blue-haired boy blinked back tears. Suzaku felt rather touched. He hadn't known Rivalz had cared so much.

**ROYAL GUARD: Well, Britannian schoolboy, not a good day to cut class.**

**Lelouch stares in wide-eyed shock. The guard turns to address those behind him.**

Nunnally winced at the raw pain on her brother's face. _It's just like when Mother died,_ she thought. _It must have been awful for him to watch that._

**ROYAL GUARD: Collect the girl. After you've secured her, kill the student!**

**BRITANNIAN ARMY: Yes, my lord!**

**With his last breath, Nagata reaches out to press the self-destruct button.**

**NAGATA: Death to… Britannia… Long live Japan!**

**The truck explodes, with Nagata inside.**

Kallen closed her eyes tightly. Ohgi watched the scene with pained eyes, wrapping his arm around her.

 _At least now I know,_ she thought. _He fought to his very last breath_ **.**

**BARTLEY: They got away?! And you call yourselves the Royal Guard?!**

**ROYAL GUARD: Forgive me, my lord! The blast was mainly directed upwards, but the–**

**BARTLEY: Why the hell do you think I only told you people about this?!**

**ROYAL GUARD: W- We'll continue the investigation!**

**Sitting on his throne, Prince Clovis rests his head in his hands as he addresses Bartley.**

**CLOVIS** **: The plan has moved forward to the next phase. If knowledge of her gets out, I'll be disinherited.**

Cornelia frowned. "Would he have been?"

"Most likely," Schneizel answered. "You know what Father was like. He was always threatening Clovis with disinheritance, but with a mistake like this one, he might've actually done it."

**CLOVIS: Tell them back home we're carrying out a planned urban renewal here.**

**Clovis stands up, and his expression changes. No longer is it one of mild annoyance—it is one of a prince who stands in a position of utmost authority. He waves his arm dramatically.**

**CLOVIS: As Clovis, third prince of the empire, I command you! Destroy Shinjuku Ghetto! Leave no one alive!**

Kallen _snarled_ at the order. Nunnally gasped softly, shocked that her older brother, who had always been gentle and kind, would do such a thing.

Cornelia winced. "That was hasty of him."

"Indeed," Schneizel agreed. He had no problem with sacrificing innocent lives, if that was what proved to be necessary. But the eradication of Shinjuku Ghetto hadn't been necessary; it was just meaningless slaughter.

**Dozens of Knightmares are deployed. They begin wiping out the civilians of Shinjuku Ghetto. A mother clutches her screaming child as she runs; people begin evacuating their homes. The walls are painted with blood.**

Many people turned away from the screen. Jeremiah closed his eyes, guilt thick at the back of his throat.

It reminded Schneizel of the Special Administrative Zone of Japan. The blood, the corpses, the panic… and no purpose to any of it. Just meaningless death.

 **BRITANNINAN ARMY #1:** _**Okay, let's sweep next floor.** _

**BRITANNIAN ARMY #2:** _**The enemy is garbage that can never hope to become even honorary Britannians! Wipe out every last one of them!** _

**JEREMIAH: Naturally.**

**BRITANNIAN ARMY #3:** _**Supervisor Jeremiah, General Bartley requests that you take command of–** _

**JEREMIAH: Bartley has staff officers. I haven't had this much fun on the front lines in ages!**

" _Fun?"_ Kallen spat at him, her eyes burning. "You find the meaningless slaughter of innocent people _fun_?"

Jeremiah sank down in his seat and didn't say anything. He had been raised to be a Britannian soldier, predisposed to the idea that all Elevens were lesser, were no more than filthy animals. But following orders was one thing. Taking such _joy_ in the slaughter… that was another. His own behavior sickened him.

**Clovis watches his forces descend on the citizens of the ghetto. He smiles, amused.**

**CLOVIS** **: Hmph.**

"Bastard," Kallen hissed.

Cornelia felt chilled by the look on her brother's face—at the ease with which he ordered a slaughter. But even more troubling, was the realization that she had once been the same way.

**Lelouch runs with C.C. She falls to the ground.**

**LELOUCH** **: What the hell are you?! This chaos is all your fault, isn't it?! (** _**he makes a desperate noise, clutching his face** _ **) Not only that, but Britannia has… even killed Suzaku!**

Suzaku winced at the raw pain in his friend's voice.

**He gasps desperately, mind whirling, seeking a solution. C.C. watches impassively from the floor.**

**LLOYD: Not there?**

**CECILE: It looks like he's gone to the front line.**

**LLOYD: Even though we brought the Lancelot here?**

**CECILE: Now what'll we do?**

**LLOYD: We steamrolled our way in here, but we don't have a devicer to use it.**

**LELOUCH (to C.C.)** **: Stay quiet. Wait here.**

**Shots are fired nearby as Lelouch sneaks up the stairs, toward the Britannian forces.**

**ROYAL GUARD: Report.**

**BRITANNIAN FORCES: We found only Elevens here, sir.**

**ROYAL GUARD: You're sure of it? That exit comes out here?**

**BRITANNIAN FORCES: Yes, sir. It matches up with our map of the old city.**

**Far away, a child cries. Machine gunfire immediately follows it, and Lelouch flinches violently.**

Nunnally flinched along with her brother. The Black Knights stared at the screen, at how horrified their former leader looked.

"He looks so _a_ _ffected_."

"Of course he is," Kallen snapped at Tamaki. "People are being gunned down feet away from him!"

Tamaki's face tightened. "I just find it surprising, since he ordered the slaughter at the Administrative Zone. He didn't seem to care about innocent people _then_."

**His cell phone rings; Leleouch's eyes widen in panic as the guards turn toward the noise. Lelouch rejects the call without looking at it.**

Nunnally held her breath.

**On the other side of the call, Shirley blinks down at her phone, then becomes angry.**

**SHIRLEY** **: Huh? That jerk! He hung up on me, I can't believe it!**

" _Shirley_?!" Kallen exclaimed.

"That girl," said Milly with a fond smile.

**Lelouch is punched in the face and staggers back. C.C.'s eyes widen, but she is stopped by the guns holding her in place.**

"His fault," said Rivalz. "He should've silenced his cell phone."

"I highly doubt he expected he'd fall into the truck of a terrorist and find himself surrounded by the Royal Guard, Rivalz."

**ROYAL GUARD: What an appropriate location for a terrorist to meet his end.**

**LELOUCH** **: You scum…**

The corner of Schneizel's mouth twitched slightly, displeased. It would have been in the world's best interest for Lelouch to have died that day. But this was still a _Britannian prince_ they were going to shoot down—a member of the Imperial Family.

Britannia's forces were corrupt. They were too quick and too eager to drop bodies. It was just another example of the way the once-great nation had corroded under his father's rule.

**ROYAL GUARD: Still, you did well for a student, but that's to be expected. You're a Britannian. Unfortunately, my clever young friend, you have no future.**

**The guard points his gun. Lelouch flinches back, turning his face away.**

**C.C.** **: He mustn't die!**

**C.C. flies in front of Lelouch to protect him. She is shot in the forehead, revealing a glowing symbol hidden beneath her hair.**

"What the _fuck_!" Tamaki screeched. "That's impossible! She couldn't have—I _saw_ her! I _talked_ to her! There's no way she died!"

Kallen stared at the screen with wide eyes. She knew that C.C. was immortal. But hearing it was one thing. Actually seeing it left her stunned.

Nunnally stared at the screen with wide eyes. "But… how?"

 **LELOUCH** **: You shot her!**

**C.C. lays on the ground, her hair splayed out around her. Lelouch stares down at her in disbelief.**

_That's insane._ Kallen thought, eyes glued to the green-haired girl. _I can't believe she could survive that._

**ROYAL GUARD: Our orders were to bring her back alive if possible. Oh well, nothing can be done about it now. We'll tell our superiors that the Royal Guard found the terrorist hideout and killed them all. Regrettably the female hostage had already been tortured to death. What do you think, schoolboy?**

**The screen pans over to show the rest of the bodies in the room; men, women, and children.**

Suzaku winced. He had been a part of that. He hadn't shot anyone, but he hadn't stopped it either. He had believed that following orders was what he had to do, and those orders had been to shoot down civilians.

**Lelouch reaches out to C.C. His hand is shaking.**

**LELOUCH** **: How can this be happening? First Suzaku's killed… And this girl… Now, I'm about to die. Before I've had a chance to do a single thing with my life.**

**Lelouch stares ahead in horror, his eyes unseeing. In his mind, he sees his sister in her wheelchair, smiling gently.**

**LELOUCH: It's gone in a heartbeat… Nunnally…!**

Tears came to Nunnally's eyes. _Oh, Brother!_

Rivalz frowned. "What does Lelouch have to do with Empress Nunnally?"

Zero frowned slightly. He had forgotten about the changes the Emperor had made to his former classmates' memories.

"They're siblings, remember?" Milly reminded him. "They would've grown up together before he was banished." She frowned as she thought about it. Her memories were strangely blurry, and the more she thought about it, the more her head hurt. "They had the same mother, they were probably very close."

Across the table, Lloyd raised an eyebrow at her, a knowing smirk on his lips. Milly avoided his gaze. She wasn't sure why she was still bothering to hide the fact that she had known Lelouch before he'd been exiled; they would find out soon anyway.

"Couldn't have been that close, could they?" said Rivalz. "You saw what Lelouch did to her. He locked her up in a bunch of chains."

Nunnally flinched, and Rivalz winced as Milly whacked him hard on the back of the head. "Sorry, Your Majesty."

**C.C.'s hand grabs onto his wrist. Lelouch gasps, and then he's falling.**

**C.C.** **: You don't want it to end here, do you?**

"How the hell did she do that?!" Ohgi exclaimed. "She was just dead!"

"We knew she wasn't," said Kallen.

"Impossible!" Cornelia exclaimed. Her mind was racing. That girl had survived a bullet to the head - she should be dead, but somehow, she wasn't.  _Just like V2..._

Nearly everyone in the room had some variation of astonishment on their faces. Schneizel didn't wear the same look of shock as the rest of them, but even his expression held a faint trace of surprise in it.

"I knew she was a witch!" Tamaki yelled.

Kallen growled, swinging her arm out. "Tamaki, _shut up_!"

"Ow! Holy hell, _why_?!"

 **LELOUCH** **: What…?**

**C.C.** **: You appear to have a reason for living.**

**LELOUCH** **: The girl? That's impossible!**

 **C.C.** **: If I grant you power, could you go on? I propose a deal. In exchange for this power you must agree to make my one wish come true. Accept this contract and you accept its conditions, while living in the world of humans, you will live unlike any other. A different providence, a different time, a different life. The power of the king will condemn you to a life of solitude. Are you prepared for this?**

" _Whoa_ ," said Rivalz, leaning back as a bunch of brightly colored images flashed quickly across the screen. "This is trippy. What's happening?"

"I think he's receiving his Geass," Milly said. "Or he's about to, maybe."

"C2 gave him the Geass power," Ohgi realized.

"So she _is_ a witch," Tamaki whispered. Ohgi refrained from hitting him, because as insane as it sounded, he was actually considering the words. _She's not human. There's no way she's human._

Behind his mask, Suzaku focused more on the words than the startling images. _The power of kings will condemn you to a life of solitude._ Suzaku felt a deep sadness fill him as he thought of his friend, of all that he had sacrificed. But he also felt proud. Lelouch had stood tall against the entire world—and he had _won_.

**CHARLES: A convergence with the Ragnarok connection?**

Cornelia's eyes went wide. "Is that—"

**The Emperor's back is shown, facing away.**

It is," Schneizel confirmed, his expression identical to his sister's. His mind raced.

**CHARLES: So the myth is beginning once again?**

The Second Prince narrowed his eyes. _Myth. What is he talking about?_

**Lelouch's expression hardens. Previously uncertain, his eyes are now like steel.**

**LELOUCH** **: Yes! I hereby accept the terms of your contract!**

**Covering his right eye, he faces the firing squad.**

_Geass_ , the watchers thought.

**LELOUCH: Say…how should a Britannian who detests his own country live his life?**

**ROYAL GUARD: Are you some kind of radical? (** _**his eyes widen** _ **)**

 **LELOUCH** **: What's wrong? Why not shoot? Your opponent is just a schoolboy. Or have you finally realized? The only ones who should kill are those who are prepared to be killed.**

Suzaku flinched at those words—the same words Lelouch had said to him when they prepared to implement Zero Requiem.

**Lelouch removes his hand from his face. In his eye, the Geass activates.**

Some people looked away from the screen instinctively.

"Only one eye?" Kallen frowned.

"He only had it in one eye at first," Jeremiah explained. "He awoke the other one later." _Though he never did explain to me how it happened._

**ROYAL GUARD (the arm holding his gun shaking): What's happening here…?!**

**LELOUCH** **: I, Lelouch vi Britannia, command you… (** _ **raising his arm outward dramatically** _**) now all of you…die!**

Cornelia inhaled sharply. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she vaguely registered the dramatic arm movement as being the same as Clovis' from earlier. It was almost fitting, that the two of them would share their flair for theatrics.

**The Geass is cast.**

**ROYAL GUARD (laughing): Happily, Your Highness!**

**Smiling maniacally, he and the other guards raise their guns to their heads.**

Nunnally closed her eyes, turning away from the screen.

**ROYAL GUARD: Fire!**

**They fire their guns. Blood splashes through the air, against Lelouch's face. He watches in shock as they fall to the ground.**

Everyone stared in shock at what the Geass could do—at the murders Lelouch had so easily committed. They all knew the basics of how the Geass worked, of course, but to see its true power up close was horrifying.

 _They didn't just kill themselves,_ Kallen thought with horror. _They were_ happy _to do it. The Geass made them_ want _to._

Schneizel's hand twitched against the table as he watched it, feeling vaguely sick. He knew the feeling too well. Of his mind being twisted, made to obey. Even now, he could feel the press of the Geass on his mind, the command that was still present, even after the caster's death. _You will serve Zero._

"That's sick," said Rivalz, his face twisted. "That's… that's so _sick_."

Ohgi wore a similar look. It was true that the men were Britannian soldiers, and that they no doubt deserved the deaths that had been given them. It wasn't so much the deaths of the men that horrified him, but rather, the method with which it had been done. At their core, a human's most primal instinct was survival; how strong must the Geass be to override that?

"So he was ruthless right from the beginning," said Cornelia, her teeth clenched. _Tell me, Lelouch. Did you shoot down Euphie just as easily?_

 **LELOUCH** **:** _**That was the turning point. Since that day, I've lived a lie. The lie of living. My name too was a lie. My personal history, a lie. Nothing but lies. I was sick to death of a world that couldn't be changed. But even in my lies, I refused to give up in despair. But now this incredible power… it's mine…** _

**LELOUCH: Well, then…**

**He smiles.**

A few people shivered at the sight of that smile. Slowly, the screen faded to black. They sat there silently, processing what they saw.

"And so it begins," Cornelia said, her beautiful face marred by a hateful snarl.

Kallen wrapped her arms around herself. She thought of Zero, standing tall and announcing himself to the world. She thought of him standing at her back, telling her she had to live. She thought of the press of his lips against hers.

"Yeah," she agreed. Her heart was a leaden weight in her chest. "It does."

 


	3. The White Knight Awakens

The screen flickered as the second episode began to play. Still processing the brutal ending to the last recording, everyone refocused their eyes toward the television.

**NARRATOR: _The date was August 10 in the year 2010 of the Imperial Calendar. The Holy Britannian Empire had just declared war upon Japan. Confronted by Britannia’s newest weapon, the formidable Knightmare Frame, Japan fell to its enemy in less than a month._**

“This again?” Tamaki complained loudly.

Kallen rolled her eyes. “Oh, shut up, Tamaki. It’s just a recap, like a television show.”

“But we _just_ watched it! We don’t _need_ a recap!”

_**The conquered nation was stripped of its freedom, rights, culture, and dignity. Finally, even its name was taken away. Eleven. The name of Japan and its people was replaced with a mere number.** _

**STAGE TWO: THE WHITE KNIGHT AWAKENS**

“Oh-ho!” said Lloyd gleefully, rubbing his hands together. “Finally, the Lancelot will be making its debut!”

Cecile rolled her eyes, though her expression was fond. “What do you mean _finally_? It’s only the second recording.”

Suzaku pressed his lips together, staring at the title card as he remembered his first time as a pilot of the Lancelot. His first fight against Lelouch—the first of many.

**The camera pans up to show the men Lelouch killed, their blood splattered over the ground.**

Many people around the table winced, particularly Nunnally and the Ashford students, who were unaccustomed to such violent sights.

Nunnally wasn’t shocked at the ruthlessness Lelouch had displayed—he had locked her in irons, after all. But it was still horrible to witness.

**LELOUCH: I don’t understand what it is you wanted me to do. Why did you give me this bizarre power?**

**Lelouch stares down at the dead C.C., laying in a pool of her own blood.**

Ohgi stared at the sight with disbelieving eyes, still unable to wrap his head around it. _I don’t understand… How can she be dead?_

**There’s the sound of an explosion. Lelouch spins around; the wall has been blown in, and a Knightmare enters. From inside the vehicle, Villetta observes all the dead guards. She gasps when she sees Lelouch.**

“So this must be when he used his Geass on her,” Jeremiah realized.

**VILLETTA: How could all these Royal Guards be dead? ( _leaning forward to press a button on her console, then speaking to Lelouch_ ) What happened here, boy? And why is a Britannian student in a place like this?! Are you deaf? Answer me or I’ll-**

**Lelouch makes a ‘tch’ noise, sending the Knightmare an irritated look. Villetta fires the Knightmares gun in a circle around him, the bullets piercing through the wall behind him.**

A few people jumped at the shots, not expecting her to shoot so soon.

“Dude,” said Tamaki to Ohgi. “Your fiancé’s pretty trigger-happy.”

Ohgi gave him a narrow-eyed look. “And you’re _not_?”

**The bullets are close enough to move Lelouch’s hair, but Lelouch doesn’t flinch.**

Nunnally held her breath when she saw how close the shots were. _Even a centimeter closer…_

“It’s impressive that he can stand so still like that,” Cornelia admitted grudgingly. “Most people are hard-wired to react instinctively to loud noises.”

Schneizel’s lips twitched. “You mean like during our seventh birthday party when Guinevere tried to shoot that apple off—”

Cornelia’s face went slightly red before her expression turned deadly. “You swore you’d never talk about that!”

“What happened?” Nunnally asked curiously.

“ _Nothing_!” Cornelia snarled, throwing a death glare in her brother’s direction.

**VILLETTA: Answer me!**

**LELOUCH: I order you to come out. ( _activating his Geass_ ) At once!**

**VILLETTA (angrily): Who the hell do you think you are to order me?**

**The Geass fades from Lelouch’s eye.**

Rivalz blinked. “It didn’t work?”

“He needs direct eye contact,” Cornelia realized.

“Obviously,” Schneizel replied. “Otherwise he would have used his Geass on me during our first video transmission.” _Instead he had to sneak up behind me…_

Over half a year later, Schneizel was still kicking himself for that massive lapse in his judgment. In hindsight, Lelouch's strategy was obvious. Schneizel had done exactly as his brother had predicted, and had played directly into his hands.

_You will serve Zero._

Schneizel’s hands clenched on his knees, knuckles going white. _Damn him._

**LELOUCH: _I see. It only works with direct eye contact._**

**Lelouch steps forward, raising his hands in a gesture of peace.**

**LELOUCH: My name is Allen Spacer. My father’s a duke.**

Milly recognized the name as an actual duke—an acquaintance of her father's. He had a son a few years younger than Lelouch. _Good. She’ll buy that._

Milly realized suddenly that she was actually _rooting_ for Lelouch. Rooting for the _Demon Emperor_. She pressed her lips together tightly, feeling as if she’d done something horribly wrong.

**VILLETTA: Nobility?**

**LELOUCH: My ID card’s in my breast pocket. After you confirm who I am, I’ll request your protection.**

**Villetta presses a button on her vehicle and is lowered out of her Knightmare. She begins walking toward Lelouch.**

**VILLETTA: Keep your hands up in the air, I’ll take out your ID.**

**LELOUCH ( _activating the Geass now that he can see her_ ): Now then, hand your Knightmare over to me.**

**Villetta’s eyes glow red. She twirls the key to her Knightmare on her finger before tossing it to Lelouch. Lelouch catches it.**

Ohgi felt a protective anger rise up in him, but he pushed it down, knowing it wasn’t fair. At this point in time, Villetta had been the same as the rest of the Britannians. Just another soldier. Had she known Lelouch’s true reason for being there, she wouldn’t have hesitated to kill him.

**VILLETTA: Understood. The code number is XG21G2D4.**

**LELOUCH: Got it.**

**Lelouch is suddenly gone. Villetta looks around in confusion, her Knightmare nowhere in sight.**

**VILLETTA: What the…**

“So that’s how he got it,” Kallen realized.

Jeremiah watched the screen, feeling some sympathy for his former colleague. She had been the only one to believe him when he said he couldn’t remember letting Suzaku Kururugi go—when he insisted he had no idea what ‘Orange' was. He could not forgive her for siding against His Majesty, but it was as Empress Nunnally had said. They didn’t understand; they only saw what Lelouch had wanted them to.

**LLOYD ( _his face popping up suddenly_ ): So are we having a bad day?**

A few people jumped at the sudden appearance.

“Jeez!” Rivalz complained. “What are you trying to do, give me a heart attack?”

 _He nearly did give me on_ e, Suzaku thought, as he remembered waking up to Lloyd's loud voice after being shot. He cast a glance in the man’s direction. _I think he does that on purpose…_

**Suzaku is laying on a cot. His eyes snap open. His chest is heavily bandaged, and Lloyd and Cecile are standing over him.**

**LLOYD: Looks like you missed a chance to go to heaven, Private Kururugi.**

“You see,” Milly said, nudging Rivalz. “I told you he was okay.”

“He still looks pretty awful, though,” Nina observed in a quiet voice. “It must’ve been close.”

 

Kallen glanced at Zero. She’d had her suspicions about who Zero was from the day she’d watched him slide a sword into Lelouch’s chest; but now, she was nearly sure.

 _Is that you, Suzaku?_ she wondered. _You hated Zero. What happened to turn you into him?_

**SUZAKU: I did? ( _sits up, wincing in pain_ ) Where?**

**LLOYD: Hmm? Ah, we’re still in the Shinjuku Ghetto.**

**The scene pulls out to reveal they are in one of three medical transport vehicles, being guarded by multiple Knightmares.**

**CECILE: With Prince Clovis nearby, this is probably the safest place anywhere.**

Kallen snorted loudly. Cecile sighed.

**CECILE( _leaning forward, she holds a pocket watch in her hands_ ): This is what saved your life, Mr. Suzaku.**

Suzaku struggled not to react at the sight of his father’s pocket watch. He didn’t carry it on him anymore, but looking at it now made him feel just as sick as it always had.

**LLOYD: You’re lucky it was under your protective suit, because that’s what deflected the bullet.**

_Ironic_ , Suzaku thought, trying to push the leaden feeling from his gut. _I killed my father, but his watch is the only reason I'm still breathing._

**CECILE: Is it a keepsake?**

**SUZAKU: Yeah, very.**

**Suzaku takes the watch and stares down at it. The glass is cracked and splintered.**

**LLOYD: You Elevens believe that gods live inside of everything, even objects, don’t you? I guess this one–**

**SUZAKU: Is Lelou— ( _cuts himself off quickly_ ) What’s the latest on the situation?**

“So that was why he was so quick to accept my offer to pilot the Lancelot,” Lloyd said. “I did wonder, since he seemed so reluctant before.”

“Indeed,” Cecile replied. She recalled how Suzaku had been so insistent that he keep going when she told him he should return to base. “It seems Suzaku's entire reason for agreeing to be the Lancelot’s pilot was to save his friend.”

**LLOYD: It looks like the poison gas was released. Massive Eleven casualties have been reported.**

" _What_?!” Rivalz yelled. “That’s not what happened at all!”

“That’s Britannia for you,” Kallen spat, disgust in her voice. “Blame the so-called terrorists for their own acts of terror. Anything to avoid exposing themselves as the true monsters.”

“You’re out of line,” Cornelia snapped. “Clovis's actions do not speak for Britannia as a whole. The order to kill the citizens of Shinjuku Ghetto was an order that _he_ gave. It was a misjudgment—”

“A _misjudgment_?” Sugiyama spoke up. “That’s what you people call the meaningless slaughter of an entire population?”

Schneizel opened his mouth, but Cornelia shot him a quick glare. He had nearly committed mass-genocide; this was the last argument that he should be weighing in on.

“Don’t,” she warned him. “You’ll make it a thousand times worse.”

**CECILE: They haven’t caught the perpetrators yet.**

**SUZAKU: They haven’t, huh? Not yet?**

**LLOYD: Private Kururugi, how much experience do you have in piloting a Knightmare frame?**

**SUZAKU: But there’s no way an Eleven would be made a knight.**

“And yet,” said Kallen, her lips twisting slightly, “he became Princess Euphemia's personal Knight.”

Cornelia and Nina winced at Euphemia’s name. Suzaku hid his own wince, but his hand tightened beneath the table.

**LLOYD ( _smiling, he holds up a key)_ : Well, supposing you could?**

**Suzaku stares in shock and awe. Brought into the room where the vehicle is housed, Suzaku stares up at the Lancelot.**

There wasn’t much awe in the room at the sight of the Lancelot. It was an amazing piece of machinery, but nearly everyone in the room had seen it already.

Lloyd rubbed his hands together, grinning.

 **LLOYD: Congratulations, the only Knightmare of its kind awaits you! Once you take the controls of this big beauty, everything will change, you and your world.**  
**CECILE: Whether you want it to or not.**

Jeremiah raised an eyebrow. “Ominous, Miss Croomy.”

 _But true,_ Suzaku thought.

**Out on the streets, Elevens are running from the tanks firing at them. Blood splatters through the air as someone is hit.**

Many around the table winced at the brutal showing. The Ashford students in particular were affected. This was an order that their country had given—and they had been led to believe it was the work of terrorists. It made them wonder what other horrific crimes their government had covered up.

**In her Knightmare, Kallen is seething, tears in her eyes.**

**KALLEN: Those damn Britannians!**

**OHGI: Kallen, can the Glasgow still move?**

**KALLEN: Don’t worry Ohgi, it’s all right. I’ll decoy them!**

**As helicopters hover in the sky, searching for movement on the ground, Ohgi has taken cover under the cropping of a building. He presses his communicator against his ear.**

**KALLEN: Get the people out of here. The only ones that’ll be captured are those of us in the resistance.**

**OHGI: I know, but we’re trapped. They’ve got us completely surrounded!**

“How did you get out of there?” Rivalz wondered.

The Black Knights exchanged loaded looks. “We had help,” Ohgi replied, his voice carrying a strange tone.

**At Ashford Academy, Shirley is in the locker room pulling on her swimsuit. A group of female students sit chatting at a table next to her.**

**STUDENT #1: That’s because you don’t have enough leg strength, right?**

**STUDENT #2: You’re wrong. You sink when you get fat.**

**STUDENT #1: Because you snack, right?**

**STUDENT #3: I’ll be fine, I burn up twice as many calories.**

Kallen shook her head at the girls. How ignorant they were. Having such frivolous, ridiculous conversations, completely unaware of the slaughter that was taking place at that very moment.

But what did they have to worry about? They were _Britannian_ , after all.

**Shirley’s phone goes off. She picks it up and connects it to her ear.**

**SHIRLEY: Ah. Lulu?**

Tamaki shook his head. “Still can’t believe someone actually called him that.”

**Out in Shinjuku Ghetto, Lelouch is piloting Villetta’s Knightmare as Shirley speaks to him.**

**SHIRLEY: What in the world have you been doing? Where are you now? If you keep cutting class, you’ll get held back.**

Milly listened to the words with a fond smile. “I forgot how much she used to nag him.”

“Yeah,” Rivalz agreed. “And she was the only one he would actually listen to. Just her and Rolo.” He frowned as something occurred to him. “Hey, whatever happened to Rolo, anyway?”

He looked to Milly and Nina, but the both of them seemed equally clueless. Milly's eyebrows furrowed, as if trying to remember. It almost looked as if she was in pain.

“I… I don’t know,” she said after a moment. “That’s strange…”

Zero exchanged a look with Jeremiah—the only other person who knew the truth about Rolo. They would need to be told soon. Otherwise this was going to get very confusing for everyone involved.

**LELOUCH: Are you near a TV?**

**SHIRLEY: A TV?**

**Lelouch: Sorry, but this is important.**

**Inside the Knightmare, Lelouch pulls up data on the screen in front of him as he listens to Shirley talk with someone.**

**SHIRLEY: Hang on. Hey, can I change the channel?**

**STUDENT: Huh? To what?**

**LELOUCH: The news, is there anything about Shinjuku?**

**SHIRLEY: News? Uhh, let’s see… There’s nothing on. Traffic restrictions?**

Milly shook her head. “I can’t believe something like this happened without us even hearing about it until after. And even then, it wasn’t even the truth.”

“Stuff like this happens more often than you think,” said Ohgi. “I doubt this was the only incident that your government covered up by blaming people like us.”

**As a couple of tanks roll past, Lelouch moves his Knightmare behind a corner.**

**LELOUCH: Why is it restricted?**

**SHIRLEY: I don’t know. They’re not saying.**

**LELOUCH ( _internally): I get it. Once they finish everything off, they’ll release news that favors the military._**

“Tch! Those bastards!” Tamaki yelled.

“It’s a smart move,” Ohgi admitted, even as his face creased with disgust. “Not only does it cover up their own involvement, but it also turns the resistance into the bad guys to the public. It was a sure way to nip any thoughts of rebellion in the bud.”

**Through the monitor, Lelouch looks down at a few children’s toys that have been abandoned in the massacre. A soccer ball. A chess board.**

**SHIRLEY: Ooh, you’re gambling again, aren’t you? I’ve warned you before more than once how dangerous that is!**

Nunnally frowned as Shirley mentioned the gambling again. “Did Big Brother really do it that often?”

Milly bit her lip, thinking about it. “He did, but he had a good reason. He…”

She frowned, her thoughts once again becoming cloudy. She knew Lelouch had had an important reason for gambling so much. A crucial reason. Why couldn’t she remember it now?

“That’s strange,” she said, for the second time in as many minutes. “I can’t remember that, either…”

Suzaku glanced slightly at Nunnally next to him. _He did it to pay for your hospital bills,_ he thought, a sharp pain in his chest. _Milly can’t remember because she doesn't remember you ever being there._

**He looks closely at one of the black chess pieces on the board, and he smiles.**

**LELOUCH: Yep, you caught me. By the way, tell my little sister that I’m gonna be late home tonight, would you? Thanks.**

Suzaku’s eyes widened behind his mask at the words, shooting a glance in Nunnally’s direction. _Dammit. I wasn’t expecting…_

“ _Huh_?” said Rivalz loudly. “ _Little sister_?” He turned to Nunnally. “Does he mean you?”

The three Ashford students had reacted to this with the same confusion. Milly frowned, her thoughts once again feeling extremely muddy. She had a few memories of Lelouch and Nunnally as kids, before Lelouch had been exiled and her own family had been stripped of their royal status, but as far as she knew, the two hadn’t had any contact since Lelouch had been disinherited. _So why would he say that to Shirley…?_

“Of course he means Empress Nunnally,” Cornelia snapped in answer to Rivalz question. “Who else would he be talking about?”

Nina frowned. “But... Rolo… I thought he and Lelouch lived together…”

“I have absolutely no idea what you’re speaking of,” the Second Princess replied. “Nunnally and Lelouch were both banished. As far as I’m aware, they’ve always lived together. Isn’t that right?”

This last query was directed toward Nunnally. The young girl looked at Cornelia, then looked at the Ashford students, hesitating.

“Nunnally?” Schneizel spoke up. “Do you know what this is about?”

Not knowing what to do, Nunnally looked to Zero, taking her queue from him. Zero set a reassuring hand on her knee.

 _I didn’t expect this to come up so soon_ , he thought. He looked around him at all of the confused faces, who had now turned to him to give them an answer.

“It’s a long explanation,” Zero told them, “and I’d rather not give it in the middle of this recording. Let’s finish this first, and then I’ll explain it to you.”

Many of them didn’t look happy about this. But they didn’t oppose Zero, whether because they were too intimidated, didn’t have the energy, or (in Schneizel’s case) were literally incapable of speaking against him.

Still very confused, they turned back to the TV as the recording started to play again.

**Lelouch hangs up. Back at Ashford, Shirley spins around angrily, jabbing at the buttons.**

**SHIRLEY: Oooh! Why does he always hang up on me like that?!**

**PHONE OPERATOR: The number you have called is beyond service range.**

**SHIRLEY: Oh darn it, not this again!**

**From inside the Knightmare, Lelouch pulls up his own location on the screen. He’s able to see the locations of all other military vehicles.**

**LELOUCH: _They need to keep a lid on this information, so it’ll be hard for them to call in reinforcements. They’ll have to make do with the pieces they have on the board. But I’m hemmed in here, and it’ll be tough to break through by myself. Gaining refuge carries its own risk, too_.**

**The hatch opens, and Lelouch drops out of the Knightmare. Nearby, the Knightmare Kallen is piloting takes out a helicopter. Lelouch sees the explosion and narrows his eyes.**

**LELOUCH** _**: I want payback for being dragged into your fight.** _

Nunnally bit her lip. She knew those words weren’t referring to this battle in particular. Lelouch was referring to their mother's murder—and how Britannia had dragged him into the fight against them on that day. The day when he had vowed to protect her—and to destroy them.

_(“I promise, Nunnally. I’ll create a world where you’re able to smile.”)_

**Two Knightmares close in behind Kallen. One of them is Jeremiah.**

**JEREMIAH: It’s our Glasgow friend.**

**Jeremiah fires at her, and Kallen flees. The power levels of her Knightmare are draining quickly; Kallen grips the handles in front of her tightly.**

**KALLEN: Just thirty minutes left!**

**Lelouch’s voice comes from her communicator, the words SOUND ONLY flashing across the monitor.**

**LELOUCH: The west entrance. Use the tracks to move to the west entrance.**

**KALLEN: Who is this! How do you know this code?!**

Kallen's hands tightened on her arms. _The first time I met Zero…_

**Lelouch is back inside Villetta’s Knightmare. As he speaks to Kallen, he fixes the collar of his uniform.**

**LELOUCH: That doesn’t matter. If you wanna win, you’re just gonna have to trust me.**

“Trust,” she murmured quietly, beneath her breath. Her chest felt tight. _I_ did _trust you, Lelouch. But why couldn’t you trust_ me _?_

**KALLEN ( _astonished_ ): To win?**

**She moves toward the west entrance like he told her, visibly sweating.**

**KALLEN: Okay, what am I supposed to do now?**

“Just like that,” Tamaki questioned, “you did what he said? You had no idea who he was, yet you followed his orders?”

“So did you,” Kallen reminded him. “And I didn’t exactly have a choice at the time, did I? Even if it had been a trap, I would’ve died if I didn’t listen to him. I took my chances.”

**She glances nervously behind her. Jeremiah and the other Knightmare are following her.**

**JEREMIAH : You pathetic Eleven. If you simply run away, this hunt hasn’t much to offer in the way of sport.**

Jeremiah winced at his own words. He didn’t care for what most people in this room thought of him. But Empress Nunnally was staring at the screen with a look of disappointment on her face, and she looked so much like Lady Marianne that it made Jeremiah feel absolutely wretched.

“Forgive me, My Lady,” he whispered.

Nunnally looked at him for a moment, and then she gave him a slight smile. “I do, Jeremiah. But it’s not my forgiveness you need to ask for.”

She directed her gaze toward the former members of the Black Knights. Jeremiah bit his lip, tasting a hint of something metallic that wasn’t blood. He didn’t respond.

**A train quickly approaches. Kallen’s eyes widen.**

**LELOUCH: Since you trusted me, you’re gonna win. Jump onto the train.**

**KALLEN: Gotcha!**

**Kallen jumps onto the train. Jeremiah holds the train off from hitting him with the hand of his Knightmare.**

Rivalz whistled. “Damn! That’s impressive.”

“Of course it is,” said Lloyd. “It’s a Sutherland, not some rusty _Glasgow_ —”

Kallen glared at him. “Oh, would you knock it off with my damn Glasglow! I get it, alright, it’s a piece of crap! Just shut up about it already!”

Lloyd just smirked, looking extremely satisfied with himself.

**JEREMIAH: You think you can get through that way, hmm? If that’s your plan, then… ( _to the other Knightmare pilot beside him_ ) You! Go after the Glasgow.**

**KNIGHTMARE PILOT: Yes, My Lord!**

“They call you _my lord_?” Tamaki questioned, rather rudely. “That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

Jeremiah pulled himself up with an air of offense. “It is the proper way for them to address me. I hold the title of margrave—”

“ _Held_ ,” Cornelia corrected, with a mocking twist to her lips.

Jeremiah gritted his teeth and continued pointedly, “It is a noble title. Lower than a prince or a duke, but still higher than a count or an earl. They, on the other hand, are simply foot soldiers. They take their orders from me.”

“ _Took_.”

“Took!” Jeremiah corrected, sending an angry glare in Cornelia’s direction. “ _Happy_ now?”

She smirked at him. Schneizel sighed. “Sister, don’t be petty. Leave the Orange Boy alone.”

“ _Orange_ —!? You son of a—!"

**The Knightmare pilot flies off, but is taken down by another Knightmare coming through the wreckage of a building.**

**JEREMIAH: What the…? Shot by friendly fire? ( _to Lelouch_ ) What’s your name and your unit?! We’re after the one-armed Glasgow –**

**Lelouch fires on him immediately. Jeremiah is shocked.**

**JEREMIAH: Oh my god! A terrorist?!**

Rivalz snorted loudly and then covered his mouth. “Sorry, it’s just—you sounded so _surprised_.”

“Of course I was surprised! They were piloting a _Sutherland_ , I thought they were one of ours!”

**Lelouch shoots out the leg of Jeremiah’s Knightmare. A look of panic goes through his eyes as he falls.**

**JEREMIAH: You son of a–!**

**KALLEN ( _rushing toward him_ ): Aaaaah!**

**Jeremiah ejects himself, flying off into the sky and parachuting.**

Kallen snorted. “Coward.”

He glared at her.

**KALLEN ( _to Lelouch_ ): You saved me. But how did you get ahold of a Sutherland? ( _she looks to where he was, but the other Knightmare is gone_ ) What? Where did he go?**

**Ohgi and the other terrorists rush up to Kallen.**

**OHGI: Kallen! What the hell was that radio message earlier?**

Milly blinked. “He contacted you, too?”

“Yeah,” Ohgi answered. “He directed us away from the vehicles that had us pinned down—told us where to go to avoid them.”

 _Saved our lives,_ Ohgi thought. _He didn’t have to. He had no reason to bother with us._ Again, that persistent niggle of doubt made itself known again, squirming inside him. _Did we do the right thing? Did Lelouch really betray us, as Prince Schneizel said? Or did we betray him?_

**KALLEN: What? He contacted you, too?**

**OHGI: Sure did. And Yoshida’s group ought to be here soon.**

The Black Knights winced at Yoshida’s name. Another comrade, like Nagata, like Naoto, who had been lost to them.

**The communicator in Ohgi’s hand crackles to life. Ohgi looks down at it, and Lelouch’s voice comes through the speaker.**

**LELOUCH: Are you in charge?**

**OHGI: Ah, yeah.**

**LELOUCH: I present to you the cargo in that train over there. They’re tools for your victory. If you want to use them to win, then follow my orders.**

Schneizel observed the way Lelouch seemed to fall naturally into a leadership role. He had not meant to be commanding a resistance group when he had set out that day, but he slipped into giving orders so easily. And that confidence had compelled others to follow him—even without knowing his name.

“He’s a natural-born leader,” Schneizel said.

Cornelia looked at him incredulously. “He enslaved you and countless other people to his will. He _usurped_ the throne!”

“I never said he was the _rightful_ ruler,” he told her. “Or that he was a just one. But he had a talent for it. You can’t deny that.”

Cornelia harrumphed, crossing her arms across her chest.

**They open up the train. When Kallen sees the Knightmare inside, her eyes and mouth go wide. The others begin opening the other cars.**

“You _stole_ our _Knightmares_?” Cornelia demanded angrily.

“Lelouch stole them,” Kallen corrected. “We just recommissioned them.”

Cornelia seethed.

**RESISTANCE MEMBER #1: There’s more in here!**

**RESISTANCE MEMBER #2: Here, too!**

**RESISTANCE MEMBER #3: Amazing! Maybe we should give this guy a chance.**

Tamaki snorted. “A shipment of Knightmares, and that’s all it took for you guys to fall into his lap.”

Minami, the resistance member who had made the comment, flushed with embarrassment.

“You were just as fooled as the rest of us!” Kallen snapped at him. “Who was the one calling themselves Zero's best bud?”

Tamaki's face went red. “Yeah, later! But I was super suspicious at first! I told you guys we shouldn’t trust him, but you didn’t listen!”

Ohgi winced. It was true. He _had_ said that. Multiple times.

**KALLEN: All this? But how?**

**LELOUCH: Woman in the Glasgow!**

**KALLEN: Y-yes!**

Tamaki laughed at her reaction. She flushed and punched him in the shoulder. “Shut up, idiot. He surprised me.”

“Yeah, sure. It had nothing to do with your _cruuush_ —”

“I didn’t even know him then!” she cried indignantly. “You asshole!”

“So you admit you _did_ have a crush on him, though?”

“Fuck _off_ , Tamaki!”

**LELOUCH: Stay where you are. Your unit’s gonna run decoy. You got that?**

**KALLEN: Understood!**

**LELOUCH: Energy filler status?**

**KALLEN: About fifteen minutes worth.**

**LELOUCH: Then recharge it! In ten minutes, I’ll contact you with your next instructions.**

Rivalz shook his head as he watched the screen. _I've never seen Lelouch like this. He was always so laid back. He never seemed to care about anything much…_

Still, watching Lelouch give orders reminded him of something. He realized it was just like watching Lelouch play chess. He was hyper-focused on every single piece on the board.

 **Lelouch ends the call. He sighs, leaning back.**  
**LELOUCH: _This is wearing me out. Regardless, I’ll need determination to succeed._**

“ _This_ is wearing him out?” Tamaki wondered. “This is nothing compared to everything else he led us into.”

“You’re forgetting,” said Kallen. “That this is his first real time doing this. You saw the first recording, this wasn’t a plan he had from the start. He was obviously already a master at strategy, but being in the line of fire like that isn’t something you can prepare for if you’ve never experienced it.”

It was true, Cornelia thought. It wasn’t that Lelouch hadn’t been exposed to violence, because he had, at a very early age. But being a witness to something was a lot different than actually finding yourself in the line of fire.

It was easier to think of him as a demon. But the truth was, Lelouch had been just as human as the rest of them.

**He stares down at the black king he holds in his hand. A bead of sweat rolls down his face.**

**LELOUCH: _After all, I’m betting my life in this game._**

Schneizel watched the screen introspectively, observing his brother put his own life on the line to achieve his goals. For some reason, the words resonated with him. _I’m betting my life in this game._

He had been so sure that Lelouch’s power had gone to his head—that it had transformed his brother into an even greater monster than their father. But Lelouch had gotten what he’d wanted, hadn’t he? He’d destroyed Britannia’s rule. He’d given the Elevens back their freedom. And all he’d had to do to achieve it was die.

What if this—all of this—had just been one long con? A way to bring down Britannia—by bringing down himself?

**BARTLEY: The terrorists are mixed among the Eleven populous and they’re mounting a minor resistance against us. But they pose little threat to our vastly superior army.**

Tamaki smirked. “ _Little threat_. We sure showed those assholes!”

“We wouldn’t have been able to, without Lelouch,” Kallen pointed out. “We all would have died.”

Tamaki was silent, reluctantly accepting the truth of the statement.

**CLOVIS: We know that. Moving on.**

**BARTLEY: Understood, Your Highness. The gas capsules will be–**

**CLOVIS: What the public thinks.**

**BARTLEY: Yes. We’ll keep searching for her.**

**CLOVIS: Either way, I want her captured dead or alive.**

Jeremiah seethed at how easily his government lied to its people—lied to _him_. He used to respect them, follow their orders unquestionably. But that was before they had stripped him of his title and thrown him out like a flea-bitten dog.

**Tamaki speaks to Ohgi from the ground. Ohgi is already inside one of the Knightmares.**

**TAMAKI: Hey, are you certain about this whole thing? They’ve all had their IFFs removed. What if this is a trap?**

“You see?” said Tamaki pointedly. “I told you—”

“But it _wasn’t_ a trap,” Kallen reminded him. “The plan went just as he said it would. He never tried to trick us.”

“Yeah, because he was playing the long con!” he argued. “Giving us a reason to trust him so we would follow his orders!”

“Why would he need to do that? If he wanted us to follow his orders, he could’ve just used his Geass on us. What would be the point in making us trust him?”

Tamaki narrowed his eyes. “You’re sure pretty defensive of him. Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten what he’s done!”

“Of course I haven’t!” she yelled. She thought of all the people who had been killed during Lelouch’s reign. Of the Special Administrative Zone. Of _Shirley_. “I could never forget what he did. But we obviously don’t know the whole story, or else we wouldn’t be here.”

“Kallen has a point,” Ohgi said, to Tamaki's severe displeasure. “We were brought here to learn the truth. We shouldn’t discard all the evil Lelouch did. But we need to be willing to keep an open mind. It’s becoming very clear that we never knew much of anything about him at all.”

**OHGI: The other side has total advantage in this war. They don’t need to set any traps. All right people, let’s move. Get to your assigned points.**

**LELOUCH: P-1, can you move? It operates basically the same as what you’re used to.**

Ohgi winced at the sound of his code name. It used to fill him with pride. Now, it was just another reminder of how disposable they’d been to him.

“So that’s how he knew how to operate the Knightmare so easily?” Kallen wondered. “Because he was Britannian?”

Schneizel had been lost in his thoughts about Lelouch, but now he looked at the young woman and shook his head. “My brother was exiled from Britannia when he was only a child. He never even saw a Knightmare up close in the time he lived with us.”

She frowned. “Then he’s just a fast learner?”

“That,” he replied, “or he was planning something like this for a while.”

“It was an accident. You saw it. He didn’t mean to fall into our truck.”

“No, he didn’t,” the Second Prince confirmed. “But he intended to destroy Britannia one day. I expect he already had something like this planned out, even if he didn’t expect the opportunity to present itself so early.”

**OHGI: Can’t you tell us who you are, at least your name?**

Cornelia snorted. “Good luck with that one.”

**LELOUCH: I can’t do that. What if these signals are being intercepted?**

“Like that’s the only reason,” Sugiyama muttered.

**LELOUCH: Anyway, if Q-1 is on schedule, enemy Sutherlands, probably two of them, will reach you in twenty-three seconds. Shoot them through the wall.**

**TAMAKI: Aaarrrg, he’s out of his mind.**

“Definitely,” said Tamaki.

Kallen raised an eyebrow. “You are aware you just agreed with yourself, right?”

He blinked. “Um.”

**OHGI: Everyone, double check your weapons.**

**TAMAKI: What?! Are you serious?**

“Yes he is. Because he’s crazy, too.”

“It _worked_ , didn’t it?!”

**MILITARY: Enemy spotted at point F-31.**

**CLOVIS ( _his fingers resting against his temple, he smirks_ ): A feint, eh? How pedestrian.**

“He never did fall for that move,” Schneizel said. The prince narrowed his eyes. “But Lelouch would know this. He’s planning something else.”

The Black Knights looked at each other, remembering the actual plan.

**Bartley and the other officers in the room watch the screen as the military vehicles close in on Kallen’s location.**

**BARTLEY: Tell Laslo’s squad to go straight in. Have Eugen and Valerie strike from the rear.**

Milly smiled, remembering what Lelouch said. “Kallen’s the decoy. He’s drawing them in.”

**OHGI: Three, two, one, fire!**

**It’s a trap. As Laslo’s squad closes in on Kallen, the other resistance members fire at them from behind a wall. Two of them are hit and go down.**

A few of the Black Knights smirked, remembering the victory. Cornelia seethed.

**MILITARY: Sir Eugen and Sir Valerie, both lost.**

**CLOVIS ( _surprised_ ): Hmm? An ambush?**

Schneizel resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Clovis was dead, after all. Schneizel shouldn’t think ill of him—even if he was being an idiot.

 **Lelouch holds up his black king, grinning.**  
**LELOUCH: _An ID signal can be a double edged sword. Besides, if the terrorists follow the orders I issue, my task at hand is sure to be completed. (To the troops_ ) P-1, P-4, P-7, move a hundred meters to the right and fire your slash harkens toward three o’clock.**

Minami shook his head, his expression somewhere between disgust and sadness. “He really was playing us all like chess pieces, wasn’t he?”

“You shouldn’t be offended,” said Schneizel. “If anything, be honored. Lelouch always valued each of his chess pieces whenever we played. Sometimes even more than he did people.”

Kallen shot him a scathing look, her lip curling. “I guess that’s something the two of you shared, huh?”

Schneizel just raised an eyebrow. Cornelia sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Brother, perhaps you should just not talk to them.”

“You’re the one starting fights,” he reminded her. “I’m just having civilized conversation.”

“No, you’re not. You’re _needling_ them. Keep doing it, eventually you’re going to start something, and if that happens, I _won’t_ be defending you.”

 _Not after you had me shot,_ she thought viciously.

**OHGI: You heard him. Do what the voice says!**

**TAMAKI: Damn, what else does he want us to do?**

**LELOUCH: P-5, ready?**

“Quit calling me that,” Tamaki grumbled.

“Quit talking to a screen,” Kallen shot back with a small smirk. Tamaki flushed.

**TAMAKI: Yeah. ( _sliding into his Knightmare_ ) Quit calling me that.**

Sugiyama smirked. “Don’t change much, do you?”

“Oh, shut up!” Tamaki exclaimed, fed up with all the bullying he was receiving. “All of you are assholes! Why do I even hang out with you?”

The former Black Knights exchanged matching grins behind his back.

**Tamaki uses his Knightmare to wrap his harken around one of the Britannians. Listening to the fight, Bradley begins to panic.**

“Looks like our resistance wasn’t such a _little threat,_ after all,” said Kallen smugly.

**BRITANNIAN SOLDIER #1: Ah! They’re using the same–**

**BRITANNIAN SOLDIER #2: The enemy’s moving towards G-28.**

**BARTLEY: Send Laslo’s Squad, I mean Glaube’s Squad!**

“He’s panicking,” Schneizel noted with a frown. “That’s not good.”

“Incompetent fool,” Cornelia seethed. If only he had kept his head… then perhaps Clovis would still be…

**CLOVIS: This means terrorists have our military weaponry?**

**Kallen anchors onto the roof, taking out another Knightmare.**

**MILITARY: Sir Glaube has ejected! His unit’s been lost!**

Kallen pumped her fist. Cornelia shot her a hard look.

“Show some decency,” she snapped. “You don’t see us celebrating when one of your people is killed.”

Kallen looked at her is disdain. “He was a _Britannian_.”

The princess’s face twisted. “And that makes it _okay_? For all that you Elevens rant about Britannia's prejudice, you are just as guilty of it as we are.”

“He was trying to kill me!”

“He was following orders!”

“And Jeremiah?” Kallen asked. Jeremiah stiffened. “He was following orders as well. He sure seemed to take a hell of a lot of pleasure in it!”

Jeremiah winced. “I—”

Neither of them paid him any mind. “Gottwald's attitude does not reflect Britannia's as a whole,” Cornelia snapped. “Many of them would like nothing more than to wipe your people off the planet. But many more are simply soldiers, loyal to their nation.”

Kallen didn’t respond, her lips pressed together tightly. Her expression didn’t falter, but inwardly, the words had shaken her.

**BARTLEY: Change our codes, they’re intercepting our transmission!**

**MILITARY: We already have, sir, four times!**

**BARTLEY: Do it again!**

**CLOVIS ( _standing up from his seat_ ): This failure is unacceptable.**

**BARTLEY: Forgive me!**

**Lloyd’s face appears on the large screen, startling everyone.**

**LLOYD: Good afternoon!**

Nearly everyone jumped at the sudden appearance.

“You really should stop doing that, sir,” said Cecile.

**BARTLEY: What is it? We’re in the middle of an _operation_!**

“Rude,” said Lloyd.

Cornelia shook her head at Bartley's sweaty face on the screen. “He’s losing his focus. The battle’s as good as lost.”

**LLOYD: I’d say it’s time to deploy the A.S.E.E.C.’s special weapon.**

Lloyd started to vibrate in his seat with excitement. Milly shot him a disturbed look. _I can’t believe I almost married that…_

**CLOVIS ( _striding forward_ ): We’ve no time for this right now.**

**The resistance takes down another military vehicle. Inside his Knightmare, Lelouch slides his rook forward.**

**LELOUCH: R-2, fire anchor. ( _A helicopter is taken down. Lelouch moves his bishop_ ) B-7, use UN ordnance. ( _picks up his knight_ ) N-group, you’ll continue your advance.**

“He really is moving them around like chess pieces,” Rivalz marveled, staring at the screen with awe. “It’s just like a chess match.”

“Every battle is a chess match,” said Schneizel. “You don’t win a battle with force, you win it with strategy.”

Schneizel had taught Lelouch everything he had known about chess. He was almost proud, watching him now—would have been, if only his brother hadn’t been using those skills to move against them.

Schneizel didn’t often allow himself to think of things that could have been—what ifs were useless, and served to only dull a person’s decisions. But for a moment, he allowed himself to think of a world where he and his brother fought on the same side—where they stood together. And for just that moment, he _yearned_.

 _We would have been unstoppable_ , he thought.

 **BRITANNIAN SOLDIER: You bloody Elevens!**  
**N-group fires, blasting away what was left of the squad.**

The corner of Cornelia’s mouth twitched in displeasure, as she continued to watch the Elevens take down more and more Britannian soldiers.

**MILITARY: We just lost Laslo’s Squad.**

**CLOVIS: So do it. We’ll have to bring up Quincey’s squad.**

Schneizel was unable to stop a scoff from escaping at this decision. “Fool.”

Cornelia’s eyes cut to him sharply. “Watch your tongue.”

Schneizel pressed his lips together, because he knew his sister was right. Clovis was dead. There was no need to cut the throats of corpses. But surely even she could see how impatient his moves were becoming?

**BARTLEY: My Lord, that will break the encirclement!**

**LELOUCH: _Now then, the enemy has five options. Their move._**

Schneizel narrowed his eyes, trying to guess at Clovis' next move. _He’s going move the units that are guarding him,_ he realized. _That idiot._

**CLOVIS: Reinforce the breach with some of the units guarding me. All we know for certain is that enemy forces are here.**

“I taught him better than that,” Schneizel said, his mouth twitching down. His tone wasn’t cruel—it was resigned.

Cornelia didn’t admonish him this time. Even she could admit that it was a foolish decision.

 **Lelouch twirls the queen in his fingers.**  
Kallen straightened slightly upon seeing the queen.

**Jeremiah watches in confusion as Britannian vehicles drive past him.**

**JEREMIAH: Who ordered them to break formation?**

Cornelia sighed at her brother’s decision. _Fool_.

**LELOUCH ( _watching the units converge_ ): Well, that’s a more stupid move than I expected.**

“It is unusually foolish,” Cornelia agreed. “Clovis was no genius when it came to strategy, but he knew his way around a chess board. The moves he’s making now…”

“He’s growing impatient,” Schneizel explained. “He’s allowing his emotions to influence his decisions, instead of just his head. He’s always had that problem.”

Clovis never had been able to shut off his feelings and lead just with his mind. In that manner, he had been unlike the rest of their family. He felt too much, felt too _deeply_.

**LELOUCH: You, Q-1, do you have an area map?**

**KALLEN: Yes, I have a map of the old town. But it has no current land marks.**

**LELOUCH: It’ll do.**

**CLOVIS: All right, send in Bertz and the others too.**

**LELOUCH: Mission number three now.**

**CLOVIS: Concentrate our forces there. Surround them!**

**LELOUCH: Is everything prepared?**

**CLOVIS ( _smirking_ ): The enemy’s main force is that center dot. Finish every one of them off!**

Nunnally held her breath. For those who hadn’t been there, the atmosphere was tense.

**LELOUCH ( _with an identical smirk_ ): Hn.**

Cornelia furrowed her eyebrows at the smug look on his face. “What’s his plan?”

Schneizel smirked, identical to Lelouch's. “Wait for it.”

**As the forces converge on the single target, the monitor shows the target to suddenly disappear.**

**CLOVIS: What?! Where’s the enemy?!**

“Where the hell did they go?!” Rivalz exclaimed.

Realization flashed through Cornelia’s eyes. “Underground,” she realized, a second before the recording revealed it.

Schneizel inclined his head. “Exactly. Their forces are stationed right below them. He’s luring Clovis' forces in to attack.”

**The targets are actually below them, under the ground. Lelouch moves his king into place.**

**LELOUCH: With this, I call check.**

A few people let out breaths of relief.

“It was lucky that underground system was there,” said Ohgi.

**The resistance attacks from below, causing the ground to crumble. All of the units fall, sending up a large plume of smoke. Clovis is stunned as all his men are lost.**

**Lelouch laughs maniacally, a gleeful look in his eyes.**

Many people drew back at the sound of that insane laugh. Nunnally shuddered. Hearing her brother sound like that was disturbing to her.

**LELOUCH: My plan worked, didn’t it? I can do it. I can. I can defeat Britannia!**

Cornelia scowled. “He’s getting ahead of himself. One victory means nothing.”

 _Perhaps_ , Schneizel thought. _But he’s not wrong._

**Clovis backs up slowly, terror in his eyes.**

**CLOVIS: _Who… Who in the hell am I up against? What if he’s even better than Tohdoh?_**

“He’s completely terrified,” Milly said, staring at the screen with wide eyes.

“I would be, too,” Rivalz said. Remembering Lelouch’s insane laugh, he shuddered.

“Is he right?” Minami wondered. “Was he better than General Tohdoh?”

“Definitely,” Ohgi agreed. He remembered that final confrontation, Lelouch against Schneizel, and he had no doubt that Lelouch was the only one who could have managed to beat the Second Prince. No one else held a candle to the two of them. “Tohdoh is amazing, and his experience makes him a huge asset… but Zero proved his superior in strategy many times.”

**CLOVIS: Lloyd!**

**LLOYD: Yes, Your Highness.**

**CLOVIS: Can it win? Will your toy beat them?**

Lloyd huffed in annoyance. “ _Toy_ ,” he repeated, then continued to grumble under his breath. A few people watched him for a few moments with raised eyebrows before turning away.

Cecile just sighed. She was used to it by this point.

**LLOYD: My Lord… please be so kind as to call it Lancelot.**

Suzaku sighed. _Here it comes._ His first confrontation with Lelouch—though he hadn’t known it was Lelouch at the time. He was fairly certain Lelouch hadn’t known it was him either; not at that point, at least.

**OPERATOR: Z-01 Lancelot now activating. Lancelot activating. Releasing hatch. Z-01 Lancelot standby for activation. Pallet extension initiating.**

**As the Lancelot activates, Suzaku pulls on his uniform.**

**CECILE: Did you read the manual?**

**SUZAKU: Pretty much.**

**CECILE: Well done. You scored at the top of the class in the simulator.**

Nunnally smiled. “Of course he did,” she said proudly. She was starting to feel uneasy, though. She didn’t like the idea of watching Suzaku fighting her big brother.

_The two of them have always been so close. Or at least, I always thought they were._

**SUZAKU: Hey, look. About what you told me earlier.**

**CECILE: Huh? Ah, it could be. But the possibility is nearly zero.**

**SUZAKU: But that means there’s still a chance, right?**

“What are you talking about?” Rivalz asked.

Cecil shook her head. “It’s not important.”

Rivalz huffed, leaning back in his seat. “So it’s another secret, huh?”

“It’s not a _secret_. It’s just not _important_.”

**CECILE: Yes, I’m afraid that’s true. Even so, you’re not to do anything reckless. The new system is not outfitted with an ejection mechanism.**

“Not do anything reckless,” Lloyd echoed with a smirk. “You obviously didn’t know our Suzaku too well at this point, did you, Miss Croomy?”

Cecile shook her head. She really hadn’t. _Don’t do anything reckless._ Asking Suzaku that was like asking a person to please stop breathing.

**SUZAKU: Okay, I understand, Miss Cecile.**

“Well, I don’t,” said Rivalz.

Milly rolled her eyes. “Oh, get over it, Rivalz. She said it wasn’t important.”

**The tarp falls off of the Lancelot as Suzaku reaches it. He stares up at it in awe.**

Lloyd made a weird squealing sound. On his right, Nina scooted slightly away from him.

**SUZAKU: That’s it?**

“No,” Kallen said, voice heavy with sarcasm, “it’s a unicorn.”

Beneath the mask, Zero felt himself blush.

**CECILE: Yes, the advanced weapon developed by us in the Advanced Special Envoy Engineering Corps. Lancelot, the world’s first seventh generation Knightmare Frame.**

**LLOYD: Well, if you’re ready, Suzaku, shall we proceed with the initial startup?**

**CECILE: Initial startup. Now preceding from phase twenty. Equipping energy filler.**

**WORKER #1: Confirm pre-start. Energy filler now at full output. Thirty seconds to reach critical voltage.**

**WORKER #2: Core Luminance, shifting phase. Yggdrassil Drive.**

**CECILE: Initiating devicer setup. Confirming entry of devicer into Z-01. Individual ID registration confirmed.**

**Suzaku sits down inside the Lancelot, entering the key. He grips the handles in front of him.**

**CECILE: Confirm man-machine interface. Engage. Yggdrasil Resonance confirmed.** **Rejection Responce, weak. Devicer’s Stress Response, weak. All readings nominal…**

**LLOYD: So far, it’s going per the data.**

**WORKER #1: …status, all green. Status of back up tactical bank, authorized. Secondary confirmation, given.**

**SUZAKU: Lancelot, activate ME boost.**

**CECILE: Lancelot, launch!**

**Lancelot launches into the sky.**

Rivalz watched it in awe. Nunnally also watched it the same way, this being the first time since regaining her sight that she had seen it.

**LLOYD ( _laughing_ ): Running full throttle right out of the gate!**

**SUZAKU: Cooler than the manual. With this…!**

“You can rule the world,” Lloyd cackled, rubbing his hands together.

Cecile sighed. “Sir, we’ve talked about this. No talking about ruling the world in front of other people. It makes you sound like a megalomaniac.”

“Oh, right. Whoops, my bad!”

**Suzaku winces, placing his hand over his injuries.**

Nunnally frowned. She had forgotten Suzaku had been injured. She leaned back towards Zero, asking quietly, “Should you have been going back out there? You were still hurt.”

“The bullet didn’t actually hit me,” he whispered back. She had to lean close to hear him from behind the mask. “My watch stopped it, remember? I was only a bit bruised.”

“You broke your ribs,” she responded with a frown. “That’s more than a bit bruised.”

“I was fine, Nunnally.” He placed a hand on her knee. “I promise.”

**Tamaki watches the Lancelot speed toward him.**

**TAMAKI: Huh? What is that? It doesn’t look like a Sutherlan—**

**With impossible speed, the Lancelot appears and delivers a hit to Tamaki’s Knightmare.**

Tamaki winced, remembering how bad the hit had knocked him around. “That fucking _hurt_. Asshole.”

Suzaku grimaced. _Sorry_.

**Inside his own Knightmare, Lelouch watches his grid.**

**LELOUCH ( _chuckling_ ): Another push and the check point will fall.**

Schneizel smirked slightly, knowing the power of the Lancelot—and the capability of its pilot. “Don’t get too cocky, little brother.”

Cornelia raised an eyebrow at him. “Pot,” she said, “meet kettle.”

Schneizel’s mouth twisted.

**RESISTANCE MEMBER: This is B-group, reporting enemy presence.**

**LELOUCH: Hm? Reinforcements? Real battle is different, isn’t it?**

The Black Knights were surprised by this comment. Though they had seen that this was Lelouch’s first real time in the line of fire, it still caught them off guard when they remembered how much of a rookie he had been.

 _He was so young_ , Ohgi marveled. _But he still always seemed so experienced._

**LELOUCH ( _holding up his communicator_ ) Status?**

**RESISTANCE MEMBER: Everyone ejected, but they took out four units in nothing flat.**

**LELOUCH: Enemy numbers?**

**RESISTANCE MEMBER: Just one. ( _Surprise flashes over Lelouch’s face_ ) I think it’s a new model. I’ve never seen anything like—**

**The resistance member cuts himself off with a loud yell.**

The Black Knights winced, listening to their comrade's yells.

**LELOUCH: What’s happening out there?!**

**Tamaki’s Knightmare falls. Lancelot moves its arm, its shield activating.**

**RESISTANCE MEMBER: Bastard!**

**The resistance fires on Lancelot, but all the shots are blocked by the shield.**

Rivalz whistled. “Damn.”

“Oh,” said Lloyd, grinning. “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

**LELOUCH: What? It reflects bullets?**

**RESISTANCE MEMBER: What do we do? Ishida!**

**With a cry, the radio crackles out.**

Suzaku winced. He hadn’t stopped to think about the people inside the Knightmares. He’d been so worried about making sure Lelouch was alright—he’d just followed orders. Had he killed any of the resistance members that day? He truly hoped he hadn’t…

 _I never meant to kill anyone_ , he thought. _That was what I was trying to prevent._

Hopefully it had only been their Knightmares that were damaged. Even if he hadn’t agreed with their actions, they had only been fighting for what they believed was right—fighting to win back their freedom. And Suzaku didn’t need any more blood on his hands; they were soaked enough already.

**LELOUCH: _Useless so-called terrorists. With all the resources they have, they’re being beaten by one unit._**

“Hey!” Tamaki yelled. The other resistance members also looked rather offended.

“I saved his _ass_ ,” Kallen recalled with a huff. “Wasn’t so useless _then_.”

**The Lancelot uses its harken to take out the surrounding Knightmares, leaping into the air and delivering a solid kick to one of them.**

**RESISTANCE MEMBER: Damn it!**

**SUZAKU: Yes, I can do this! With Lancelot I can stop all this at once!**

Kallen rolled her eyes. Suzaku winced inwardly at his own words. He had been so naïve.

**LELOUCH: N-4, N-5, hold there. When the rear units arrive, surround that thing.**

“Isn’t going to _work_ ,” Lloyd sing-songed. “The Lancelot is much too powerful to be damaged by such puny, insignificant attacks. Why, it'd be like attacking a tank with a rusty dagger!”

Sugiyama looked to Zero. “Can I please hit him?” he asked.

Zero frowned. “I don’t—”

Before he could finish, Milly leaned down the table slightly and brought her palm down on Lloyd’s face. The table went silent.

Milly leaned back, a small smirk playing at the corners of her mouth. Rivalz stared at her with hearts in his eyes.

“Please have my children,” he said.

Lloyd rubbed at his cheek. “…Ow,” he said. “What was that for?”

Milly shrugged. “Nothing, really. It just sounded fun.”

Lloyd wasn’t sure if he was amused or offended.

**RESISTANCE MEMBER: Gotcha.**

**They fire on Lancelot, but the machine is not deterred. Suzaku attacks, breaking the Knightmares. One of the Knightmares’ arms flies through the air. The forces become quickly panicked.**

**RESISTANCE MEMBER: We can’t stop it!**

**The Knightmare is pulled apart. Lelouch’s calm is quickly slipping.**

**LELOUCH: N-units, what is it?**

**The communicator replies with static. Lelouch begins to panic slightly.**

**LELOUCH: What happened? Something I didn’t foresee?**

“His control is slipping,” Schneizel noted with surprise. He hadn’t expected Lelouch to be rattled so easily. Guess it only went to show how much his brother had grown in his time masquerading as Zero.

 _He’s only human_ , Suzaku thought. _Though there were times when I doubted it myself._

**CLOVIS: For heaven’s sake. Now I’ll owe my older brother a debt I don’t need to incur. It’s for the best, though.**

Schneizel couldn’t help smirking slightly. Though that smirk immediately disappeared as soon as he remembered that Clovis had never gotten a chance to pay that debt.

**Lancelot continues to take down the resistance. With a cry, Ohgi falls.**

A few of the Knights looked at Ohgi, concerned even though he had obviously been fine.

**LELOUCH: P-1! Report! ( _to himself) The enemy… can it really be only one unit?_**

**CECILE: These readings are even higher than predicted.**

**LLOYD: It’s because our pilot is taking his job very seriously.**

**SUZAKU: _If I can stop all the Knightmares, then this battle is over. No matter what it takes, I’ve got to save Lelouch and that girl!_**

Kallen shook her head. “And he had no idea Lelouch was the one he was actually fighting against.”

Suzaku grimaced. He had never doubted that Lelouch had meant every word of his vow to destroy Britannia—but somehow, he had still refused to believe that his friend would ever become a terrorist.

**Suzaku spots Lelouch’s location and fires his slash harken at the outside of the building. Lelouch looks up in surprise as the Lancelot enters, hitting him hard enough to rock the Knightmare and take out the monitor.**

Nunnally winced. _Here it comes._

She looked over to her left. She couldn’t see Suzaku's face, but his muscles looked pretty tense. She placed a reassuring hand on his knee, like he had done for her.

**LELOUCH: You mean this thing’s what’s ruining my plan?!**

**Lelouch has blocked the strike with the arm of his Knightmare. Lancelot pushes him back.**

**SUZAKU: Are you the guy that’s in command?!**

**LELOUCH: Nothing more than a pilot! How _dare_ he!**

Kallen snorted. He sounded so _offended_ that he was being waylaid by a single person.

**Beneath them, the structure of the building begins to fall apart.**

Nunnally held her breath.

**LELOUCH: No choice, I’ve gotta get out of here!**

**The Lancelot strikes Lelouch’s Knightmare, sending him to the ground. Kallen appears, her Knightmare intercepting Lancelot’s strike.**

**KALLEN: Hey, I’m returning the favor!**

Nunnally released her breath, looking to Kallen.

“Thank you,” she said. Kallen hesitated a moment, her expression uncertain, before she nodded.

**Kallen shoots her slash harken, but Lancelot grabs it, pulling. Sparks fly inside the machine as its pulled apart.**

**KALLEN: I can’t–**

**Kallen ejects, shooting away.**

“ _Coward_ ,” Jeremiah mimicked—the same insult she had thrown at him when he had ejected.

Kallen grinded her teeth but didn’t respond.

**LELOUCH: _I must remember that. The most vital element in battle is the human one._**

Schneizel raised an eyebrow slightly. _That’s very true_. He recalled how Lelouch had outsmarted him, calling him out on his bluff.

(“ _You only play games you know you won’t lose.”)_

The most vital element in battle was the human one. And Lelouch had learned that well.

**Suzaku chases after Lelouch. Lelouch fires at him rapidly, but he avoids it. Lelouch fires at a nearby building so a large piece falls to block the path, but the Lancelot flies right over it.**

**LELOUCH: That damn monster’s unstoppable!**

Lloyd smiled rather smugly.

**SUZAKU: Bastard. He’s tearing things up for no reason!**

Kallen rolled her eyes. “Not for no reason. It was obvious he hit that building in an attempt to block the Lancelot’s path. He isn’t just tearing up the street aimlessly.”

Suzaku pressed his lips together. Even if that were true, there were people in that building who could have gotten seriously hurt. Unless Lelouch predicted he would stop to rescue them?

**A woman holding a child screams as she falls through the air. Suzaku is forced to abandon the chase to save her.**

Cornelia shook her head. “Unbelievable.”

Nunnally raised an eyebrow. “Should he have left her and the child to die, Sister?”

Cornelia grew uncomfortable. “Well, no, but… to abandon the battle like that…”

“Was the honorable thing to do,” the young girl said firmly.

**LELOUCH: _In the midst of battle, he rescues someone? Hn. I concede you the tactical victory here. Nevertheless…_**

_So he didn’t predict I would stop to rescue them_ , Suzaku realized. Of course he hadn’t; he didn’t know it was Suzaku in that machine. He thought it was just another Britannian soldier.

**LLOYD: Huh? He saved someone?**

**LAB WORKER: Yes, so it would seem.**

**LLOYD: Hm… It’s very strange of him.**

Suzaku grit his teeth. _Strange that I would try to save innocent people from death? That’s not_ strange _, that’s human decency._

**The woman Suzaku saved stares up at the Lancelot in fright. She screams, running away. Suzaku makes a noise of surprise.**

Suzaku winced.

**CECILE: Suzaku, are you tired? We’ll call it quits for today.**

**SUZAKU: No. I’m fine. Please let me keep going.**

**LLOYD: Be careful with his operational time!**

**CECILE: Yes, sir!**

**LLOYD: My, that boy’s an excellent piece of equipment.**

Behind his mask, Suzaku raised an eyebrow.

“ _Equipment_?” Milly echoed incredulously. “Are you serious?”

Lloyd shrugged, unphased by their judging gazes. “I stand by what I said. That boy was an excellent piece of equipment.”

Cecile sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.

**Someone in a guard uniform approaches Clovis’s transport.**

**SOLDIER: Stop there! Your ID! This is Prince Clovis’s personal transport.**

**LELOUCH ( _removing his helmet_ ): At last, the check point. And barely guarded, per my plan.**

Cornelia stiffened, recognizing the voice and realizing what was about to happen. _Brother_ …

Minami looked at Ohgi uncertainly. “Is this when…?”

“Yeah. I think so.”

**SOLDIER: Your plan?**

**LELOUCH: That’s right. Now, I’d like you to let me pass.**

**SOLDIER ( _eyes glowing red_ ): Yes, sir. Understood.**

**The soldier drops his gun. The Geass fades from Lelouch’s eye.**

Schneizel clenches his teeth slightly.

**Kallen runs through the smoking streets toward the building where survivors are holed up.**

**OHGI: Kallen!**

**MAN: It’s your fault! This is what happens when you oppose the Britannians!**

Tamaki fumed. “Bunch of cowards.”

**TAMAKI: What!? Why, you gutless coward!**

**WOMAN: How many people were killed because of this!?**

**TAMAKI: Shut up! Do you know how many of us were killed or captured?! Do ya?! Quit crying!**

Ohgi looked at him in disapproval. “They’re scared, Tamaki. It’s understandable.”

Tamaki huffed, crossing his arms across his chest.

**KALLEN: Ohgi, who was that voice we heard?**

**OHGI: Damned if I know. He doesn’t answer when I call so maybe he b–**

**The wall implodes as soldiers advance on the hideout.**

A few people jumped in surprise.

**TAMAKI: There, you see! Instead of following somebody we don’t even know, we should’ve used the poison gas.**

Kallen looked at him with narrow eyes. “You mean the poison gas that would have _killed everyone_?”

Tamaki looked slightly uncomfortable. “I know, I know. I was pissed off, okay?”

**OHGI: But he…**

**TAMAKI: Damn Nagata to hell!**

Tamaki flinched, remembering Nagata pressing the button to detonate his vehicle. _I'm sorry._

**SOLDIER: So this is where you Eleven vermin scurried off to. Prepare to fire!**

**KALLEN: Naoto…!**

Both Kallen and Sugiyama flinched violently. Sugiyama had been a member of Naoto's resistance team—and had considered him one of his closest friends.

**SOLDIER: Commence–**

**CLOVIS: Attention all forces. Cease fire at once!**

Cornelia straightened in surprise. “What?”

“Lelouch,” Schneizel said, by way of explanation. His voice was tight.

**SUZAKU: _Cease fire?_**

**CLOVIS: I, Clovis, third prince of Britannia and royal viceroy of Area Eleven, hereby command you, all forces are ordered to cease fire at once! You also cease destruction of any buildings or property. All casualties, whether Britannian or Eleven, shall be treated equally and without prejudice. In the name of Clovis la Britannia, you are here by ordered, cease fire at once! I shall allow no further fighting!**

**Clovis sits on his throne and the announcement ends, leaving the room dark.**

**CLOVIS: Are you satisfied?**

**LELOUCH: Very. Well done.**

Nunnally’s breath caught when she realized what this was. She remembered the day the news had announced Clovis' death—and when Zero had announced himself as the killer.

Her throat grew tight at the realization that her brother was about to die—at the hands of her other brother. Her hands trembled.

_I don’t think I can watch this._

**CLOVIS: And what shall we do now? Sing a few lively ballads? Or perhaps a nice game of chess.**

**LELOUCH: That has a familiar ring.**

Cornelia clenched her teeth. Her eyes burned with anger—and pain. “That… _bastard_.”

**CLOVIS: Hm?**

**LELOUCH ( _pulling off his helmet and tossing it away, his gun is aimed at Clovis_ ): Don’t you recall? The two of us used to play chess together as boys. Of course, I would always win.**

Schneizel remembered. He had taught both Clovis and Lelouch how to play chess. Clovis had never had a talent for it, though he had understood the game well enough. But Lelouch had taken to it naturally.

Schneizel suspected that Clovis had often been jealous when Schneizel began spending more time teaching Lelouch than him. It had fostered a resentment, especially when the younger boy would beat him whenever they played.

**CLOVIS: What?**

**LELOUCH: Remember? At the Aries Villa?**

Cornelia screwed her eyes shut against the memories. Schneizel’s mouth became a thin line.

**CLOVIS: You… who are you?**

**LELOUCH: It’s been a long time, big brother.**

**Lelouch steps into the light. Clovis’s eyes go wide in complete shock, and he pushes up from his chair.**

**LELOUCH: The eldest son of the late consort Marianne and seventeenth in line to the imperial throne. Lelouch vi Britannia at your service.**

Jeremiah winced at the name that fell from Lelouch’s lips, grief and shame passing through him. _Lady Marianne…_

**Lelouch kneels on the ground, his gun still trained on his brother.**

**CLOVIS: Lelouch?! B-But I thought–**

**LELOUCH: That I was dead? You were wrong. I have returned, Your Highness. And I’ve come back to change everything.**

As the recording ended, a few people released their breaths. They had thought it would end with the Third Prince's death, but it would appear that the moment wasn’t until the next recording.

“The only reason he agreed to become Viceroy of Area Eleven was to find Nunnally and Lelouch,” Cornelia said through gritted teeth. “He looked for them for _years_. And now when he finally discovers the truth, it’s because Lelouch came to kill him.”

Her voice was laced with a fine current of rage. Her hands shook, and she curled them into fists.

“Are we moving on to the next recording?” Nina asked cautiously.

“Not yet,” said Milly. She looked at Zero. “I believe you promised us an explanation? About Lelouch and the Empress?”

 _About why my memories are so cloudy,_ she thought. _About why thinking about them too much makes my head feel like it’s going to split open._

Zero shared a long look with Nunnally. She nodded. With her approval, Zero turned to face the three Ashford students at the table.

“You’re right. You deserve an explanation.” He took a deep breath, and then began, “Not all of what you remember is true. Some of it—a lot of it—is nothing more than a lie. This is the truth…”

 

 


End file.
